Not being the greatest fan in the world of live performance, I took a deep breath before I en tered the building, the castle theatre, and prepared myself to be bored, expecting to find it more interesting to watch the audience than the show. Then I got the shock of my life.
Wadaiko Inchiro are a group of ten young Japanese men and women using traditional drums with a history going back more than 1500 years. The drums were once used for festivals and religious ceremonies and also as a means of communication during wars. Today they give an ear-blasting performance which punches out rhythms with the power to wind you. They’re a welcome relief from the Scottish pipers.
Unlike other performances, the best seats are at the back of the house. Not only will your ears be protected from full blast, but you will get a fantastic view of the whole set. On stage are some of the biggest drums you will ever see and a cast wearing red, white and black headscarf.
There had been almost no publicity for the show, but the house was full of people desperate, one could only assume, for something a bit different from the unrelenting performances appearing at this world-famous festival. The solid 60-minutes show starts as it means to go on. The drums rumble into fever-pitch action as the ten-strong company strike their sticks with startling control. Their rhythmic frenzy almost immediately drugs you into submission. Trapped inside the beating of the drums, you carried swiftly through warrior war cries to emotional rhapsodies（狂想曲）. Not only is this display musically impressive, but the dance is strikingly beautiful. Moving between the enormity（巨大）of the drums, the slight Japanese characters have complete synchronicity（同步性）with the flying of their sticks, which they ceremonially cross and use to command.
The biggest drum is played only by Inchiro, the leader of the group. When I ask why this is so, he refuses to admit that he is being precious about this monster of an instrument and says, “When someone else can play it as I do, I will happily move aside.” Dressed all in red, he stands before it as thought he is worshipping at an altar; as he raises his sticks to the drum, he touches it sometimes tenderly and sometimes murderously. Inchiro and his drum produce a range of sounds from thunder to the trickle of rain.The writer took a deep breath before entering the building because she__________ .
| A．was excited |
| B．knew it would be hot in the theatre |
| C．was nervous |
| D．was preparing herself to be bored |
According to the writer, there were many people watching the performance because________.
| A．the drummers are dressed in different colors |
| B．they wanted to see something unusual |
| C．the people in the group are famous |
| D．the show had been well advertised |
We can learn from the passage that .
| A．the drums have been linked with religion for a long time |
| B．the show was more exciting at the beginning than at the end |
| C．the drummers make controlled movements with their drums |
| D．the best place to see the show is the seats nearest to the drummers |
Inchiro feels that____________.
| A．no one else should ever play the biggest drum |
| B．he must always make loud noises on his biggest drum |
| C．he is now the only one who can play the biggest drum well enough |
| D．it is very important for him to teach someone else to play the biggest drum |
Many people have been talking about the way in which the world will come to an end in 2012. Everybody wants to find out if December 21, 2012 is the last day of the earth. The rumor has already been spreading for a very long time. The Mayan’s prediction can acc
ount for the rumor. According to the rumor, the earth will experience dramatic changes in 2012 and the changes will be disastrous to all of the living creatures on earth. It is widely assumed that a Planet X will return to orbit the solar system. The return of Planet X will have a destructive effect on the solar system as well as on some planets including the Neptune, the Jupiter and the earth. Planet X will cross into their orbits. There’s a possibility that Jupiter will change into a little sun at this time, so folks will be well placed to see two suns in the sky in 2012.
The solar flares (耀斑) that occur in a 11-year cycle will reach their highest point in 2012. The powerful solar flares will affect the magnetic field of the earth and cause disasters. On December 21, 2012, the sun and the earth will line up in the same line at the equator(赤道). The winter solstice(冬至) only occurs once every 25,800 years. The events in the universe are signals that the world will come to an end. As a result of the solar flares, lots of disasters will happen that will destroy the face of the whole earth. Scientists are making the guess primarily based on the Mayan Long Count Calendar.
Many films have been made about the end of the world including End Game by Alex Jones and End Clock: Nostradamus 2012. The former provides insights about the way the world will become one state. After the world government is in place, it’s going to be easy to exterminate 80% of the people in the world. The rest will continue to live with assistance from advanced technology.
No one knows whether the world will end on December 21, 2012: There is no clear answer until the day arrives. Just as the Mayans claim, it will not be the time for the world to end. Instead, it will be the dawn of a fresh start.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Information about end-of-the-world predictions. |
| B．Different opinions about end-of-the-world predictions. |
| C．Some doubts about end-of-the-world predictions. |
| D．Destructive effects of the end of the world. |
Which of the following things will NOT happen if the end of the world really happens?
| A．Humans will see two suns at the same time. |
| B．The earth will look completely different. |
| C．The earth and the moon will line up in the same line. |
| D．The solar flares will become stronger than before. |
The underlined word “exterminate” in Paragraph 3 probably means “__________”.
| A．save | B．kill | C．help | D．rule |
What is the author’s attitude to the rumor that the world will end?
| A．Optimistic . | B．Sad. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Scared. |
When I spent Christmas away from home in Europe for the first time, I was only 14 and it was absolutely horrific. I am now married and live in the US. So there is little possibility for me to go home for Christmas. Now I am able to get through Christmas with some moments of joy:
First, you are advised to search you area for stores that carry items from your home country or town. Buy food, candles and some other things that mean something to you.
Hold on to the traditions from your home that you think are important even if other people think they are stupid. But keep in mind to be open for new traditions from wherever you might be, because those traditions are as important to those people around you as yours are to you. For me that includes celebrating Christmas on the 24th.
Call, write Christmas cards, buy gifts and mail them to loved ones, just as if you were there. If you try to pretend as if the holiday doesn’t exist, you are just going to make it worse.
Introduce your traditions to your loved ones, especially your kids. It will only enrich their celebration of the holiday to have some unique traditions in their home. Little by little it will become their tradition and it’s fun for them to try something new.
Find clubs, churches or organizations that are from your home country. Chances are that they will have some celebration with some of your traditions which you can join in.
Food is one of the most important factors in any kind of tradition. Find the recipe of that cake your grandmother used and make it your tradition to bake that particular cake.
Call up your parents and get them to send you some of your favorite childhood ornaments (装饰品) for your tree.
Embrace new traditions, talk to your family about which ones you want to make your own and stick with them.
If you are far away from home, Christmas can never be the same as you experienced it before, but it is important to remember these traditions while appreciating the new ones. Keep an open mind and find a compromise between old and new traditons.The author spent his 14th Christmas ___________.
| A．unpleasantly in the US | B．joyfully in the US |
| C．unpleasantly in Europe | D．joyfully in Europe |
Why does the author advise people to hunt in some special stores?
| A．Because people can buy some discounted goods there. |
| B．Because people can feel less homesick there. |
| C．Because it’s an old Christmas tradition. |
| D．Because they offer goods from the hometown of the people. |
Which of the following statements does the author agree with?
| A．It’s great for children to have some unique traditions. |
| B．People should join in all kinds of clubs to celebrate Christmas. |
| C．People should give up traditions which are stupid in other people’s eyes. |
| D．It is popular to celebrate Christmas on the 24th around the world. |
The author suggests giving a call to parents on Christmas mainly to __________.
| A．express love to them | B．follow the tradition |
| C．ask for some ornaments | D．set an example for children |
While firing off pictures of a curious five-month-old fox, photographer Simon Czapp soon realized his subject had quite an interest in photography herself. The clever fox was so curious about the camera equipment that she 
climbed right on top of it. And while she was supposed to be the subject of the shoot, the fox stood on the shutter release button (快门按钮) and took her own frames.
Mr Czapp visited the New Forest Wildlife Park to capture images of new arrival Jessie. She has been at the animal park in Ashurst, Hampshire — home to wolves, deer and other animals in 25 acres of ancient woodland — after being abandoned by her mother.
Mr Czapp said, “Jessie was very playful and curious and not at all camera shy. Soon after I arrived she was chewing my shoes and everything seemed to be a game to her. Then she started exploring the camera I had set up on a tripod (三脚架). She balanced her front paws on it and at one point knocked it over.”
He put the camera back on the tripod and Jessie soon jumped back up. At one point she had all four paws on the camera and was keeping her balance. Mr Czapp added, “She jumped up there several times and I realized it could make a good picture. As I was leaving with the public’s viewing window behind me, I thought I heard the camera go off but didn’t think much of it. But when I checked the memory card afterwards, I was amazed to see Jessie had actually taken two pictures of me photographing her. I couldn’t believe a fox had gained an advantage over me! Jessie is a lovely little fox. There were some lovely photos of her but she obviously thought the photographer was worthy of a picture too!”The underlined word “frames” in Paragraph 1 probably means “_________”.
| A．photographers | B．pictures | C．buttons | D．advantages |
What do we know about Jessie from the passage?
| A．She arrived at the park five months ago. |
| B．She lives at the park together with some other foxes. |
| C．She was sent to the park because her mother left her. |
| D．She loved the life in the park so much that she left her mother. |
What is the RIGHT time order of the following steps in Jessie taking a photo?
a. Jessie pr
essed the shutter release button.
b. Mr Czapp left the camera to take a photo.
c. Jessie climbed onto the camera and balanced herself.
d. Mr Czapp set up his camera on a tripod.
e. Jessie stood up to look at the back of the camera.
| A．d, e, c, b, a | B．a, b, c, d, e | C．c, b, e, a, d | D．d, e, b, c, a |
From the passage we can infe
r that __________.
| A．foxes are better at photographing than men |
| B．some foxes are more friendly than humans |
| C．Mr Czapp and Jessie took photos for each other |
| D．Jessie gained an advantage over Mr Czapp in photographing |
Here is some information about several famous local bakeries(面包烤房) in Indiana, the US. They serve as a social gathering place for locals.
Maple Lane Bakery
At 8260 S. State Rd. Claypool, IN. (574) 566-2917, it offers a variety of cooked pies, cookies, and bread. With 20 years’ experience Maple Lane Bakery has specialized in the making of pies. The menu includes peach pie $7.19, berry pie $7.70, apple pie $7.19 and banana pie $6.99. Feel free to place an order at least 24 hours in advance.
Betty’s Cakes & Candy Shop
At 816 E. Winona Avenue Warsaw, IN. (574) 269-1231, it specializes in cakes and offers cookies and candies. The chocolate cookies are sold at $8.99 a dozen. Betty’s Cakes & Candy Shop, started half a century ago, specializes in wedding cakes and birthday cakes. Buying a cake from Betty’s will not disappoint you as they are always excellent.
Crepes’ Quality Bakery
At 217 S. Cavin Street Ligonier, IN. (260) 894-3024, this third generation bakery is located downtown Ligonier. It offers cookies and cupcakes, and specializes in rolls and bread. If you plan to buy cookies for the office or work area, you had better get there early as the building workers arrive just before 5:00 am waiting for the doors to open.
Olympia Candy Kitchen
At 136 N. Main Street Goshen, IN. (574) 533-5040, it has been welcoming visitors for almost a century in its unchanged location in downtown Goshen, Indiana. Its tradition began in 1912 when Greek Nicholas began making his own chocolates. Today this family-owned operation offers all kinds candies and boxed candies.
If you need an order, you should call ahead of time to see if they can meet your request.Which of the following pies is the most expensive?
| A．Peach pie. | B．Banana pie. | C．Apple pie. | D．Berry pie. |
If you want to order a birthday cake, you are advised to call _________.
| A．(574) 533-5040 | B．(574) 269-1231 | C．(260) 894-3024 | D．(574) 566-2917 |
Which of the following bakeries has the shortest history?
| A．Crepes’ Quality Bakery | B．Betty’s Cakes & Candy Shop |
| C．Olympia Candy Kitchen | D．Maple Lane Ba kery |
The author wrote this passage mainly to __________.
| A．tell readers some travel information |
| B．persuade more people to eat pies |
| C．make the bakeries better known to readers |
| D．warn customers to order bakeries in advance |
The vitamins necessary for a healthy body are normally supplied by a good mixed diet, including a variety of fruits and green vegetables. It is only when people try to live on a very restricted diet, say that when trying to lose weight, that it is necessary to make special provisions to supply the missing vitamins.
An example of the dangers of a restricted diet may be seen in the disease known as "beri-beri", which used to make large numbers of Eastern people who lived mainly on rice suffer. In the early years of last century, a Dutch scientist named Eijkman was trying to discover the cause of beri-beri. At first he thought it was transmitted by a germ (病菌) . He was working in a Japanese hospital, where the patients were fed on polished rice which had had the outer coverings removed from the grain, it was thought this would be easier for weak and sick people to digest.
Eijkman thought his germ theory was proved when he noticed the chickens in the hospital yard, which were fed on remains from the patients' plates, were also showing signs of the disease. He then tried to separate the germ, which he thought was causing the disease, but his experiments were interrupted by a hospital official, who ordered that the rice without coverings, even though left over by the patients, was too good for chickens. It should be recooked for the patients, and the chickens should be fed on cheap, rough rice with the outer coverings still on the grain.
Eijkman noticed that the chickens began to recover on the new diet. He began to consider the possibility that eating unmilled rice (糙米) somehow prevented or cured beri-beri--even that a lack of some ingredient (成分) in the coverings may be the cause of the disease. Indeed this was the case. The element needed to prevent beri-beri was shortly afterwards separated from rice coverings and is now known as vitamin B. The milled rice, though more expensive, was in fact causing the disease the hospital was trying to cure. Nowadays, this terrible disease is much less common thanks to our knowledge of vitamins.What does the underlined word restricted mean?
| A．balanced | B．limited | C．diverse | D．complex |
What do we know about the disease beri-beri?
| A．It killed large numbers of people. |
| B．It resulted from lack of vitamins. |
| C．It was transmitted by milled rice. |
| D．It was caused by diseased chickens. |
The ingredient missing from milled rice .
| A．was vitamin B | B．did not affect the chickens |
| C．did not result in beri-beri | D．was named the Eijkman vitamin |
What can be the best title of the passage?
| A．A Good Mixed Diet | B．The New Discovery of Eijkman |
| C．The Dangers of Beri-beri | D．The Importance of Vitamins |