Although most weddings follow long-held traditions, there’s still room for American individualism. For example, the usual place for a wedding is in a church. But some people get married outdoors in a scenic spot. A few even have the ceremony while skydiving or riding on horseback! The couple may invite hundreds of people or just a few close friends. They choose their own style of colors, decorations and music during the ceremony. But some things rarely change. The bride usually wears a beautiful long white wedding dress. She traditionally wears “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.” The groom wears a formal suit.
Several close friends participate in the ceremony as attendants, including the best man and the maid of honor.
As the ceremony begins, the groom and his attendants stand with the minister, facing the audience. Music signals the entrance of the bride’s attendants, followed by the beautiful bride. Nervously, the young couple repeats their vows （誓言）. Traditionally, they promise to love each other “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health.” But sometimes the couple has composed(编写) their own vows. They give each other a gold ring to symbolize their marriage commitment. Finally the minister announces the big moment, “ I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride!”
At the wedding reception, the bride and groom greet their guests. Then they cut the wedding cake and feed each other a bite. Guests talk with each other while enjoying the cake, drinks and other treats. When the reception is over, the newlyweds run to their “decorated” car and speed off. Many couples take a honeymoon, a one- to two-week vacation trip, to celebrate their new marriage. Which of the following best shows American individualism?
| A．Most weddings observe long-held traditions. |
| B．Some people choose their own style of weddings. |
| C．People choose a church as a place for a wedding. |
| D．The bride wears a beautiful long white wedding dress. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Wedding vows are usually composed by the minister. |
| B．The young couple face the audience throughout the wedding. |
| C．The couple composes their own vows to avoid nervousness. |
| D．The minister is the chief witness at the wedding ceremony |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The best man is the one to marry the maid of honor. |
| B．The wedding reception is a party after the wedding ceremony. |
| C．The newlyweds always take a honeymoon in their own cars. |
| D．Many couples take a vacation trip before the wedding. |
Winter-swimming has become popular in Beijing. Three years ago, few people would go swimming in the icy waters. But now there is a Winter-swimming Enthusiasts’ Club（冬泳爱好者协会）and it has more than 2,000 members. The oldest is 84 years old and the youngest is only 7. The members are from all walks of life. They may be workers, peasants, soldiers, teac
hers, students…
Though it is now the coldest part of the season and the water temperature in the city’s lakes is around 0℃, many winter-swimmers still swim in the icy waters, even when it is snowing. They enjoy themselves in the lake, while the people by the side of the lake are wearing heavy clothes.
Why are so many people interested in winter-swimming? Because winter-swimming can be good for one’s health.
Bei Sha is a good example. He is 69, and he once suffered from（患……病）heart trouble for 26 years. After ten years of winter-swimming he is now in good health. Scientists are now studying the effects of winter-swimming on health. Among the winter-swimmers the oldest man is_______ years older than the youngest one.
| A．91 | B．84 | C．77 | D．7 |
Guess what “The members are from all walks of life” means?
| A．The members do different jobs at different places. |
| B．They come from all parts of Beijing. |
| C．They are persons of different ages. |
| D．They are men and women, old and young. |
The winter-swimmers are able to swim in the icy waters, even on snowy days because .
| A．they are not afraid of coldness |
B．they often swim  in the icy waters |
| C．they know that they can benefit（得益）from it |
| D．winter-swimming can make people healthy |
Winter-swimming has become popular in Beijing because .
| A．more and more people like to swim in Beijing |
| B．it is more interesting than swimming in summer |
| C．winter-swimmers are brave men |
| D．winter-swimming does a lot of good to one’s health |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．People in Beijing Like Swimming in Winter |
| B．Winter-swimming—A Craze（狂热）in Beijing |
| C．People Benefit from Winter-swimming |
| D．Winter-swimmers Are Brave Men |
Today, roller skating (滑旱冰) is easy and fun. But many years ago, it wasn’t easy at all. Before 1750, people never tried skating on wheels. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin’s work was making instruments. In his free time he liked to play the violin. Merlin was a man with many ideas and many dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation to go to an important party. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think. He wanted to find a way to make a wonderful entrance at the party. Merlin had an idea. He thought that he would attract a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
Merlin tried different ways to make he roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skate shoes. Merlin was very proud of them. He dreamed of arriving at the party and skating into the room while playing the violin. He was sure that everyone would be very surprised.
On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room, playing his violin. Everyone was really surprised to see him. There was just one
problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skating. He rolled on, playing the violin. Then, with all eyes on him, Merlin hit into a huge mirror on the wall. The mirror broke into many pieces with a very loud noise. But nobody forgot Merlin’s wonderful entrance after that. The story tells us that people began to enjoy roller-skating ______.
| A．before the year 1750 | B．before the invitation |
| C．because of Joseph Merlin | D．because it was dangerous |
People called Merlin a dreamer because ___________.
| A．he slept and dreamed a lot | B．he was full of different ideas |
| C．he was a talented violinist | D．he always made people’s dreams come true |
___________ made Merlin think of skating on wheels.
| A．Merlin’s work | B．Merlin’s violin |
C．A huge mirror |
D．An important party |
What was Merlin’s problem after he rolled into the room?
| A．He couldn’t stop his roller-skating. |
| B．He couldn’t attract a lot of attention. |
| C．Everyone was surprised at him. |
| D．He couldn’t play the violin while rolling. |
The text is mainly about_________.
| A．a strange man |
| B．an unusual party |
| C．how roller skating began |
| D．how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century |
When I was six, Dad brought home a dog one day, who was called “Brownie”, my brothers and I all loved Brownie and did different things with her. One of us would walk her, another would feed her, and then there were baths, playing catch and many other games. Brownie, in return, loved each and every one of us. One thing that most touched my heart was that she would go to whoever was sick and just be with them. We always felt better when she was around.
One day, as I was getting her food, she chewed up(咬破) one of Dad’s shoes, which had to be thrown away in the end. I knew Dad would be mad and I had to let her know what she did was wrong. When I looked at her and said, “Bad girl.” She looked down at the ground and then went and hid. I saw a tear in her eyes.
Brownie turned out to be more than just our family pet. She went everywhere with us. People would stop a
nd ask if they could pet her. Of course she’d let anyone pet her. She was just the most lovable dog. There were many times when we’d be out walking and a small child would come over and pull on her hair. She never barked (吠) or tried to get away. Funny thing is that she would smile. This frightened people because they thought she was showing her teeth. Far from the truth, she loved everyone.
Now many years have passed since Brownie died of old age. I still miss the days when she was with us. What would Brownie do when someone was ill in the family?
| A．Look at them sadly. | B．Keep them company. |
| C．Play games with them. | D．Touch them gently. |
We can infer from Paragraph 2 that Brownie ____.
| A．would eat anything when hungry | B．felt sorry for her mistake |
| C．loved playing hide-and-seek | D．disliked the author’s dad |
Why does the author say that Brownie was more than just a family pet?
| A．She was treated as a member of the family. |
| B．She played games with anyone she liked. |
| C．She was loved by everybody she met. |
| D．She went everywhere with the family. |
Some people got frightened by Brownie when she ____.
| A．smiled | B．barked |
| C．rushed to them | D．tried to be funny |
Which of the following best describes Brownie?
| A．Shy. | B．Polite. | C．Brave. | D．Caring. |
What’s On Stage
An acrobatic show: To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the China Acrobatic Troupe(剧团) will present “The Soul of China”, where the seemingly impossible is made real. Chills will run down your spine(脊柱) as you watch breathlessly as performers take their art and their bodies to the edge.
Time: 7:30 p.m., September 13-19
Place: Capital Theatre, 22 Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District
Exhibitions
Joint Show: A group ink painting exhibition is running at the Huangshicheng Art Gallery in Beijing. About 50 works by 25 young artists including Ge Yun and Yu Yang are on display.
Time: 9:00 a. m.—5:00 p.m. until September 10
Place: Huangshicheng Art Gallery, 136 Nanchizi Dajie, Dongcheng District
Oil paintings: The Wanfung Art Gallery will host a joint show of oil painting by 10 young and middle-aged artists. On display are more than 30 of their latest works, which capture the wondrous variety of life in unique styles.
Time: 9:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m. until September 15
Place: 136 Nanchizi Street, Dongcheng District
Literature museum: The National Museum of Modern Chinese Literature offers an in-depth study of the evolution of Chinese contemporary literature from 1919 to 1949.
Time: 9:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m., daily
Place: 45 Anyuan Donglu, Chaoyang District(Shaoyaoju area)
Concerts
Beijing rocks: “The Fashion Night of Chinese Rock” is set to bring rock fans out by the thousands next month. Nine Chinese rock bands will perform at the concert, including older generation bands, middle generation and some recent arrivals. The audience will be given a chance to decide what songs they want to hear, which is sure to bring a storm.
Time: September 16
Place: The Olympic Center
Belgium Orchestra：La Petite Bande, the Baroque Orehestra of Belgium, will perform in Beijing at the Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities as part of activities across the world in memory of the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death.
Time: 7:30 p.m. September 11—14
Place: Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities What do you think of the acrobatic show mentioned here?
| A．When you watch it, you will certainly feel cold. |
| B．Something strange will puzzle everyone, including scientists. |
| C．Unexpected things will make you excited and surprised. |
| D．Even the bravest ones will be too frightened to go on watching |
The most characteristic thing about the Fashion Night of Chinese Rock is that .
| A．it will let the audience choose the performers and the music |
| B．it is to bring thousands of rock fans out of their homes |
| C．it will certainly cause a rock storm throughout China |
| D．it is to be held in memory of one of the greatest musicians |
Suppose it is September 14 today, how many activities can people choose to attend?
| A．2. | B．3. | C．4. | D．5. |
On the whole, we can conclude .
| A．people in Beijing prefer modern culture to something traditional |
| B．there are usually more cultural activities in September than in any other month |
| C．most of the cultural activities in Beijing are for foreign visitors only |
| D．we can enjoy a large variety of cultural activities in Beijing |
The teaching hospital is one associated with a medical school. Teaching hospitals are large, with a range of from 300 to 200 beds. These hospitals always have interns(实习医师) and residents(住院医师) and additionally have medical students on the hospital wards. They have superb technical resources, and it is here that the most extraordinary events of medicine take place. Open-heart surgery, transplantation of kidneys, elaborate(精致的) nurseries for the newborn, support for management of rare blood diseases, and other wonderful achievements are all available here. Dozens of people may be concerned with the well-being of a particular patient. Important medical decisions are thoroughly discussed, presented at conferences, and reviewed by many personnel.
On the other hand, the quality of personal relationships at teaching hospitals is variable. Many patients feel that they are treated in an impersonal way, and that their laboratory tests receive more attention that their human and social problems. Since these institutions are on the frontier of medicine, there is a tendency to emphasize the new and elaborate procedures, when older and more modest ones might have served as well. With the inexperience of some members of the care team, there is a tendency to order more laboratory tests than what would have been ordered for the same condition in a private hospital. The sick patients are sometimes confused by having to relate to a large number of doctors and students. Medical educators are concerned with such criticisms and have to correct some of the problems. However, some excesses(超额) of technological medicine still occur in these institutions.One of the advantages of a teaching hospital is that .
| A．its first-class personnel are a guarantee of excellent medical care |
| B．its first-class medical facilities and skills make medical breakthroughs possible |
| C．the interns, residents and medical students all offer satisfactory services |
| D．its laboratory staff provide high-class professional aids for the doctors |
The passage implies that .
| A．private hospitals usually give personalized care of high quality |
| B．private hospitals have more experienced laboratory staff |
| C．teaching hospitals use patients as subjects for their experiments |
| D．teaching hospitals usually give patients improper treatment |
Treatments of some difficult and complicated cases in teaching hospital are decided .
| A．by specialists in charge of the case |
| B．by doctors and students together |
| C．on some special and important occasions |
| D．through collective efforts and serious review |
The problem that still bothers teaching hospitals frequently is .
| A．the inadequate patient care caused by irresponsible nurses. |
| B．the wrong decisions made by inexperienced doctors |
| C．improper dependence on technological medicine |
| D．the inconvenience caused by the presence of medical students |