The Carnival of Brazil is an annual festiva
l held 46 days before Easter, especially famous for the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Carnival celebrations are believed to have roots in the festival of Saturnalia, which, adapted to Christianity, became a farewell to bad things in a season of religious discipline to regret and prepare for Christ’s death and coming back to life. Modern Brazilian Carnival dates back to Rio de Janeiro in 1641. It originally copied the European form of the festival, later taking in elements of Native American and African cultures. In the late 19th century, the strings (弦乐器) were introduced in Rio de Janeiro. These were pageant (游行) groups that paraded through city avenues performing on instruments and dancing. Today they are known as blocks, consisting of a group of people who dress in costumes or special T-shirts with themes or logos. Blocks are generally connected with particular neighborhoods; they include both a music group and a lot of revelers(狂欢者). Block parades have become an expressive feature of Rio’s Carnival. Today, they number more than 100 and the groups increase each year. Blocks can be formed by small or large groups of revelers with a clear title. Before the show, they gather in a square, then parade in sections of the city, often near the beach. Carnival time in Rio is very interesting, but is also the most expensive time to visit Rio. Hotel rooms and other lodgings (住宿) can be up to four times more expensive than the regular rates. There are big crowds at some locations and life is far from ordinary in many parts of town.What can we infer from the first paragraph?
| A．The Carnival of Brazil is often held after Easter. |
| B．The Carnival of Brazil comes from Easter and Saturnalia. |
| C．The Carnival of Brazil is mainly to celebrate the birth of Christ. |
| D．The Carnival of Brazil is a festival to regret and begin a new life. |
How long is the history of the peoples celebrating modern Brazilian Carnival?
| A．About 100 years. | B．Less than two centuries. |
| C．Over five centuries. | D．About 370 years. |
We can infer from the fourth paragraph that_______
A．block parades become bigger and bigger. |
| B．block parades can only be formed by big groups of revelers. |
| C．the theme of blocks must be serious. |
| D．blocks always parade only on the beach |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The famous carnivals in the world. |
| B．How the carnival was introduced in Brazil. |
| C．The happy life of the people in Rio de Janeiro. |
| D．The carnival in Rio de Janeiro. |
One of China’s most popular folk arts is paper cutting（剪纸）. Archaeological(考古学的) finds trace the tradition back to the 6th century; it is supposed that the beginnings of paper cutting were even a few centuries earlier. Paper cuttings are used for religious(宗教的) purposes, for decoration (装饰)and as patterns(图案).
Today, paper cuttings are mainly used as decoration. They ornament walls, windows, doors, columns mirrors, lamps and lanterns in homes. They are also used for decoration on presents, and are given as presents themselves. They are of special importance at festivals. At the Spring Festival for example, entrances are decorated with paper cuttings which are supposed to bring good luck.
Paper cuttings are not produced by machine, but by hand. There are two kinds of paper cuttings; scissor (剪刀) cuttings and knife cuttings. Scissor cuttings are fashioned with scissors. Several pieces of paper--- up to eight pieces---are fastened together. The motif(图形) is then cut with sharp, pointed scissors.
Knife cuttings are fashioned by putting several layers (层) of paper on a relatively soft foundation consisting of a mixture of tallow (动物脂) and ashes. Following a pattern, the artist cuts the motif into the paper with a sharp knife which he usually holds vertically(垂直地). The advantage of knife cuttings is that considerably more paper cuttings can be made in one operation than scissor cuttings.
In the countryside, paper cuttings are usually made only by women and girls. This used to be one of the skills that every girl was to master and that were often used to judge brides(新娘). Professional paper cutting artists are, on the other hand, almost always men who have guaranteed (保证) incomes and work together in workshops.Paper cuttings can be used for ______________.
| A．decoration | B．decoration on presents | C． presents | D．all of the above |
The underlined word ornament means ______________.
| A．to be added to and make something beautiful | B．to be used as |
| C．to be cut in | D．to be made on |
Which is the best title of this passage?
| A．The ways of paper cutting | B．The reasons for paper cutting |
| C．The purposes of paper cutting | D．Paper cutting |
COME TO NEWYORK AND SEE THE WORLD
If you’re looking for the place that has everything, there’s only one place to visit, and that is New York. It’s a whole world in a city.
The World of Theatre: All of New York is a stage. And it begins with Broadway. Where else can you find so many hit shows in one place? Only in New York.
The World of Music: Spend an evening with Beethoven at Lincoln Centre. Swing to the great jazz of Greenwich Village. Or rock yourself silly at the hottest dance spots found anywhere.
The World of Art: From Rembrandt to Picasso. From Egyptian tombs to Indian teepees. Whatever kind of art you like, you will find it in New York.
The World of Fine Dining: Whether it’s roast Beijing duck in Chinatown, lasagna in Little Italy, or the finest French coq au vin found anywhere, there is a world of great taste waiting for you in New York.
The World of Sights: What other city has a Statue of Liberty? A Rockefeller Centre? Or a Bronx Zoo?Which of the following program can a visitor have only in New York?
| A．To enjoy roast Beijing duck. | B．To taste the finest French coq au vin. |
| C．To spend an evening with Beethoven. | D．To see the Statue of Liberty. |
From the text we know that “Rembrandt” is most likely the name of a famous ____.
| A．singer | B．painting | C．play | D．painter |
What the writer really wanted to do is to _____.
| A．try to persuade reader to pay a visit to New York |
| B．give reader some information about New York |
| C．supply readers with some wonderful program in New York |
| D．help readers to get a better understanding of New York. |
The passage above may be taken from ______.
| A．a guidebook for foreigners | B．a handbook for English learners |
| C．a pocketbook for visiting businessmen | D．a storybook for native readers. |
Chuck，unlike other frogs，didn't like catching flies himself. But he did love eating them.
Some frogs thought Chuck was lazy. Some believed he must think he was too good for them. Some thought Chuck was the strangest frog ever.
That didn't matter to Chuck. Each morning，Chuck jumped over and sat under the spider's web. Then when Lady Eightlegs went off to dip (浸) her feet in the pond，Chuck ate flies from her web.
One morning while Chuck was enjoying his fly breakfast，Lady Eightlegs returned and caught him.
“You're the one who keeps eating my flies！”she cried.
Chuck jumped away and into the pond. Now there was an idea！Why not spin (结) his own web?
He collected some vines (葡萄藤) from a nearby farm. Then he began to spin his web. He worked on his web for hours，until very late at night. And then he fell asleep.
When he woke up the next morning，he found that he got caught by the vines.
“Help！”he shouted.
Lady Eightlegs looked up from the edge of the pond. She hurried up to help Chuck out of the vine web.
“No matter how hard I try，I can't spin a spider's web，”Chuck said.
“Of course not，”Lady Eightlegs said. “You're a frog. Frogs can't spin spider's webs any better than spiders can swim，I guess.”
“But I always see you in the water，”Chuck said.
“I only wade in (蹚水) up to my knees，”Lady Eightlegs sighed. “How wonderful it would be to swim in the middle of the pond and float (漂浮) peacefully under the sun.”
Chuck smiled，“I have an idea.”
From that day forward，Chuck carried Lady Eightlegs out to the middle of the pond，where they floated and played together. When they returned to land，they shared a breakfast of flies from her spider's web.
It wasn't exactly an ordinary friendship. But Chuck was not an ordinary frog.The second paragraph is written to show that Chuck ______.
| A．was different from other frogs | B．didn't get along well with other frogs |
| C．led a lonely life | D．was a proud frog |
What do we know about Chuck's web?
| A．Lady Eightlegs helped Chuck spin it. | B．It was successfully spun by Chuck. |
| C．It was spun far from the pond. | D．Chuck failed to spin it himself. |
It can be inferred from the text that ______.
| A．Chuck had tried to catch Lady Eightlegs | B．Chuck had difficulty collecting vines |
| C．Lady Eightlegs was very wise | D．Lady Eightlegs swam well |
What was Lady Eightlegs' attitude towards Chuck in the end?
| A．Worried. | B．Friendly. | C．Doubtful. | D．Cold. |
Waste can be seen everywhere in the school. Some students ask for more food than they can eat and others often forget to turn off the lights when they leave the classroom. They say they can afford these things. But I don’t agree with them.
Waste can bring a lot of problems. Although China is rich in some resources(资源), we are short of(缺乏) others, for example, fresh water(淡水). It is reported that we will have no coal(煤) or oil to use in 100 years. So if we go on wasting our resources, what can we use in the future and where can we move? Think about it. I think we should say no to the students who waste things every day. Everybody should stop wasting as soon as possible.
In our everyday life, we can do many things to prevent waste from happening, for example, turn off the water taps(水龙头) when we finish washing, turn off the lights when we leave the classroom, try not to order more food than we need, and so on. Little by little, everything will be changed. Waste can be stopped one day, if we do our best. From the passage we know that some students often _______ in the school.
| A．eat too much | B．don’t work hard | C．waste things | D．throw rubbish everywhere |
Which is not mentioned in this passage?
| A．Fresh water. | B．Forest. | C．Oil. | D．Coal. |
What may happen in 100 years?
| A．We may still have enough oil. | B．We may still have enough coal. |
| C．We may have a little oil. | D．We may have no coal or oil to use. |
Which is the best title of this passage?
| A．Stop Wasting | B．School life |
| C．Waste in the School | D．Rich Resources in China |
Mary’s plan for next week
| Monday |
7:30 go to the cinema with Alice |
| Tuesday |
11:00 doctor |
| Wednesday |
9:00 table tennis game evening-study for exam |
| Thursday |
8:30 concert |
| Friday |
Afternoon—help Uncle Sam in his restaurant |
| Saturday |
9:00—10:30 art class 14:00 visit grandmother |
| Sunday |
8:00 supper with Betty and Ann |
Peter’s plan for next week
| Monday |
study group meeting 3:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday |
basketball match 4:30 p.m. |
| Wednesday |
go to see some friends 2:00 p.m. |
| Thursday |
noon, lunch with Larry |
| Friday |
2:00—4:00 p.m. volunteer(志愿者) work @ Student Centre |
| Saturday |
Shopping 10:00 a.m. |
| Sunday |
Basketball team party 9:00 p.m. |
Peter’s study group meeting will be on ______.
| A．Saturday morning | B．Monday afternoon |
| C．Saturday evening | D．Friday afternoon |
From Peter’s plan we learn that Peter likes ______.
| A．table tennis | B．music | C．art | D．basketball |
On Sunday morning Mary will ______.
| A．be free | B．be busy | C．see the doctor | D．go shopping |
What will Mary do on Wednesday evening?
| A．See her friends | B．Play basketball |
| C．Go to her art class | D．Prepare for an exam |