If Confucius were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake，there would be a lot of candles．He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out．
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day，few people in the United States will give him a passing thought．It’s nothing personal．Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes．
But this doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius．In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China．
In the past two decades，the Chinese study programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities．More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries．These schools teach both Chinese language and culture．The main courses of Chinese culture usually included Chinese art，history and philosophy．Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the old Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Westerners philosophy．Students in the United States，at the same time，are racing to learn Chinese．So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States．Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers．
So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well．
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West．
As for the old thinker，he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West，even if his birthday is．The first paragraph is mainly intended to_________．
| A．provide some key facts about Confucius |
| B．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
| C．show great respect for the old thinker |
| D．attract the readers’ interest in the subject |
The reason why few Americans remember Confucius on his birthday is probably that______．
| A．they don’t care about Confucius at all． |
| B．they consider their own national heroes more important． |
| C．he has bee a bridge between foreigners and China. |
| D．they don’t pay much attention to the birthdays of famous people． |
We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students________．
| A．were not interested in Chinese studies before |
| B．take an active part in Chinese petitions |
| C．have a great interest in studying Chinese |
| D．hope to make money in China |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Old Thinker with a Big Future |
| B．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
| C．Chinese Culture for Westerners |
| D．Forgotten Wisdom in America DDCA |
Too much TV-watching can harm children’s ability to learn and even reduce their chances of getting a college degree, new studies suggest in the latest effort to examine the effects of television on children.
One of the studies looked at nearly 400northern California third-graders. Those with TVs in their bedrooms scored about eight points lower on math and language arts tests than children without bedroom TVs.
A second study ,looking at nearly 1000 grown-ups in New Zealand, found lower education levels among 26-year –olds who had watched lots of TV during childhood .But the results don’t prove that TV is the cause and don't ride out that already poorly motivated youngsters（年轻人）may wash lots of TV.
Their study measured the TV habits of 26-year-olds between ages5 and 15. These with college degrees had watched拍average of tess than two hours of TV per weeknight during childhood, compared with an average of me than 2 1/2 hours for those who had no education beyond high school
In the California study, children with TVs in their rooms but no computer at home scored the lowest while those with no bedroom TV but who had home computers scored the highest
While this study does not prove that bedroom TV sets caused the lower scores , it adds to accumulating findings that children shouldn’t have TVs in their bedroomsAccording to the Califomia study, the low-scoring group might 。
| A．have watched a lot of TV |
| B．not be interested ted in math |
| C．be unable to go to college |
| D．have had computers in their bedrooms |
What is the researchers' understanding of tbe New Zealand study results?
| A．Poorly motivated 26-year-olds watch more TV. |
| B．Habits of TV watching reduce learning interest[来 |
| C．TV watching leads to lower education levels of the 15-year-olds. |
| D．The connection between TV and education levels is difficult to explain |
What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
A．More time should be spent on computers.
B．Children should be forbidden from watching TV.
B．TV sets shouldn't be allowed in children's bedrooms
D．Further studies on high-achieving students should be doneWhat would be the best title for this text?
| A．Computers or Television |
| B．Effects of Television on Children |
| C．Studies on TV and College Education |
| D．Television and Children's Learning Habits |
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 Center
The Snowdonia Center for young mountain climbers has a mountain 1068.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 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．Choose the holiday in Devon. |
| B．Go to the Snowdonia Centre |
| 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 a sport lesson. |
| D．It offers comfortable room. |
What is special about the World Sea Trip of 2008?
| A．You can have free meals on deck every day. |
| B．You can sleep on a ship and tour many places. |
| C．You will have chances to watch and act in a play. |
| D．You have to do your own packing and unpacking. |
How many novels written by Fitzgerald are mentioned in the passage?
| A．5. | B．6. | C．7. | D．8. |
Which of the following is the correct order to describe Fitzgerald’s life according to the pas sage?
a. He became addicted to drinking.
b. He studied at St. Paul Academy.
c. He published his first novel This Side of Paradise.
d. The Great Gatsby won high praise.
e. He failed to reorder his life.
f. He joined the army and met Zelda.
| A．f-c-e-a-b-d | B．b-e-a-f-c-d | C．f-d-e-c-b-a | D．b-f-c-d-e-a |
We can infer from the passage that Fitzgerald .
| A．had made some money when he met Zelda in Alabama. |
| B．was well educated and well off before he served in the army |
| C．would have completed more works if his wife hadn’t broken down |
| D．helped his friend get rid of drinking while his wife was in hospital |
passage is probably followed by a concluding paragraph about .
| A．Zelda’s personal life |
| B．Zelda’s illness and treatment |
| C．Fitzgerald’s friendship with Graham |
| D．Fitzgerald’s contributions to the literary world |
To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains, But actually the umbrella was not invented as protection against the rain, Its first use was as a shade against the sun!
Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very ancient
times . Probably the first to use it were the Chinese in the 11th century B C.
We know that the umbrella was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade. And there was a strange thing connected with its use: it became a symbol of honor. In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by those in high office.
In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. And the umbrella was in commonly used in ancient Greece. But it is believed that the first persons in Europe to use the umbrella as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans.
During the Middle Ages, the use of the umbrella practically disappeared. Then it appeared again in Italy in the late sixteenth century. And again it was considered as a symbol of power. By 1680, the umbrella appeared in France and later in England.
By the eighteenth century, the umbrella was used against rain throughout mostof Europe.
Umbrellas have hot changed much in style during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight. It wasn’t until the twentieth century that women’s umbrellas began to be made , in a whole variety of colors.According to this passage, the umbrella was probably first invented in ancient_______.
| A．China | B．Egypt | C．Greece | D．Rome |
Which of the following statements is not true about the umbrella?
| A．No one exactly knows who the inventor of the umbrella was |
| B．The umbrella was first invented to be used as protection against the sun. |
| C．The umbrella changed much in style in the eighteenth century |
| D．In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. |
A strange feature of the umbrella’s use is that it was used as__________.
| A．protection against rain | B．a shade against the sun |
| C．a symbol of honor and power | D．women’s decoration (装饰) |
In Europe, the umbrella was first used against the rain_______________.
A. during the Middle Ages B. by the 18th C. in Rome D .in GreeceThis passage talks mainly about_______________.
| A．when and how the umbrella was invented |
| B．why the umbrella was so popular in Europe |
| C．the development of the umbrella |
| D．The history and use of the umbrella |
No one really knows how and why people change as they get older. Also, no theory sufficiently explains all the changes of the aging process. Aging is a complex and varied process that varies in how it affects different people and organs. In fact, even in one person , different organ systems “age “ at a different rate.
At a certain point in our lives our body systems will begin to weaken . It may become more difficult for us to see and hear. The slow change of aging causes our bodies to lose some of their ability to bounce back from disease and injury. In order to live longer , we have always tried to slow or stop this change that leads us toward the end of our lives.
Many factors decide our health . A good diet plays an important role. The amount and the type of exercise we get are another two factors. Our living condition is yet another. But scientists studying the aging problem want to know: Why do people grow old? They hope that by studying the aging medical science they may be able to make the length of life longer.
There is nothing to be afraid of as the old age comes. Many consider the later part of life to be the best time for living. Physical activity may become less, but often we get better understanding of the world and ourselves.
What we consider the old age now may only be middle-aged some day soon. Who knows ,with so many advances in medical science happening so quickly, life length may one day be measured in centuries ,rather than in years!The underlined phrase “bounce back ”means “__________.”
| A．jump backward | B．run fast | C．prevent | D．recover |
In order to make people live longer, scientists _______according to the text.
| A．teach people how to eat properly |
| B．discover how important the exercise is to one’s health |
| C．study the ways to slow or stop the process of aging |
| D．invent new medicine to slow down the process of aging |
Many consider the later part of life to be the time of living because they__________.
| A．consider their lives have been very successful |
| B．have come through the battle of life safely |
| C．know more about themselves and the outside world |
| D．can have a good rest and enjoy themselves |
How many factors which decide our health are mentioned in the text?
| A．Two | B．Four | C．Five | D．Six |
Rules of safety are made to keep people from getting hurt. It is important for everyone to learn how to live safely while at home, work, or play. You should always remember this. Put safety first.
Safety can be practiced at home by following some simple rules. Use ladders instead of stepping up on tables and chairs. Keep stairs well lighted and clear of things for someone to trip over. Fasten down loose rugs. Turn handles of pots inward from the edges of stoves. Keep matches and medicines out of the reach of small children.Keep electric wiring in good repair.
Safety at work has been getting attention from groups of people for many years. Safer machines have been built to cut down on accidents. Red lights warn when equipment is out of order and is not to be used. The proper shoes, gloves, robes, hats, or coats help protect workers on the job.
Safety at play is important, too. Children should use swings and slides properly. Common sense by people boating and swimming will also help everyone around stay safe. Good manners and care for others are part of safety.
Living safely can be fun for you as well as for those around you, You will be able to help others think before they act. Try to work for safety in everything you do.Which of the following statements is not included in the rules listed in the passage?
| A．Use ladders to reach a high place or object, |
| B．Light stairs all the time. |
| C．Keep wires in good condition. |
| D．Keep matches out of the reach of small children. |
The first sentence in the third paragraph implies______.
| A．people .have been absorbed in safety at work for many years |
| B．safety at work has been an attractive problem for a long time |
| C．safety at work has drawn people's attention since many years ago |
| D．people paid more and more attention to safety at work |
From the last paragraph we know that_____.
| A．living safely is meaningful | B．you can help others think and do |
| C．we should try to work well | D．all of the above |
This passage mainly teaches us_______.
| A．how to behave well | B．what we should pay attention to at work |
| C．we should do things safely | D．rules of safely |