If Confucius(孔子) were 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 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 that 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 studies 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 include Chinese art, history and philosophy(哲学). Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up the drawbacks of Western 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 to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.The opening paragraph is mainly intended to _______.
| A．attract the readers’ interest in the subject |
| B．provide some key facts about Confucius |
| C．show great respect for the ancient thinker |
| D．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students _______.
| A．take an active part in Chinese competitions |
| B．try to get high scores in Chinese exams |
| C．fight for a chance to learn Chinese |
| D．have a great passion in studying Chinese |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．Forgotten Wisdom in America. |
| B．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language. |
| C．Old Thinker with a Big Future. |
| D．Chinese Culture for Westerners. |
The passage is likely to appear in ______.
| A．a biography | B．a history paper |
| C．a newspaper | D．a philosophy textbook |
Soft Police Jumbo Set
Model No.:1530
Product Specifications:
This soft play set features soft toys that will not hurt your precious babies. It does not include any small parts or accessories（附件）that can be easily swallowed. It boosts your children’s imagination and creativity. The colorful appearance of the items can surely attract kids. Suitable for children aged over 1.
Baby Toys
Model No.:MSM-12LL1
Product Specifications:
This set of soft toys is suitable for children of all ages. It features two sleeping mice, lying on each other, creating a warm and intimate image. One of the pieces is designed in a circular shape, which can serve as a baby’s neck rest. Can be your children’s bedside companion. Safe for children. Comfortable and soft to touch.
Hanging Decoration for Babies
Product Specifications:
The featured item is a hanging decoration for babies. It is usually hung on ceilings or above baby cots. Comes in separate pieces. Easy assembling. Rotating（旋转的）umbrella with music. Decorations consist of several stuffed toys. For babies of 0-12 months.
Baby Pulling Toys
Product Specifications:
This is a series of baby pulling to toys. They are decorated with stuffed mini dolls like bears, sheep and rabbits. When the babies pull strings, the toy is wound. When the pulling toy is released, the toy contracts back and produces different sounds. Made of polyester（涤沦）. Suitable for children of 1,2,3,4, or above.
Hello Kitty Doll with Swing Chair
Model No.:62558
Product Specifications:
38cm doll with swing chair. This foldable swing chair with the cutest Hello Kitty is perfect for all lovely infants under one. It has adorable printing that can surely appeal to babies. It is also strongly constructed and designed to ensure maximum safety. Made of high quality material.
Soft Dinosaur 5pcs Set
Model No.:1801
Product Specifications:
The soft and smooth texture offers a pleasure touch. Absence of small parts makes it safe for kids. Attractive to kids with the colorful appearance. Suitable for children aged over 1. An excellent and playful household decoration.If you want to buy toys to be put by children’s bed, you may choose______.
| A．Model No. 1530 | B．Model No. MSM-12LL1 |
| C．Hanging Decoration for Babies | D．Baby Pulling Toys |
In what way are Model No. 1530 and Model No. MSM-12LL1 similar to each other?
| A．Both of them have colorful appearance | B．They are for children aged over 1 |
| C．They are the same in shape | D．They are both soft and safe |
If you want to pull babies’ attention with images and sound, you may choose___________.
| A．baby pulling toys | B．a hanging decoration |
| C．Model No. MSM-12LL1 | D．Model No. 1530 |
What do we know about Model No. 62558 and Model No. 1801?
| A．Model No. 62558 is much safer than Model No. 1801. |
| B．Model No. 62558 is more suitable for babies of 0-12 months. |
| C．Model No. 1801 is more attractive in appearance. |
| D．Model No. 1801 is made up of many small parts. |
Last Sunday I made a visit to some new neighbors down the block. No specific purpose in mind, just an opportunity to sit at the kitchen table, have some tea and chat. As I did so, it occurred to me how rare the Sunday visit has become.
When I was a kid in the New Jersey of the 1960s, Sunday visits were routine. Most stores were closed and almost nobody worked. My family normally traveled eight city blocks to the home of my grandmother, where adults would sit on the front porch and chat while we children played hide-and-seek.
The Sunday visit was something to desire strongly. It was the repetition to church, our reward for and hour of devotion, and opportunity to take advantage of the fact that Dad was not at work, we were not in school, and there were no chores that couldn’t wait until Monday. Sunday was, indeed, which means that there was one day when everyone seemed to have time for everybody else.
Sunday as a day of rest is, or was, so deeply rooted in the culture that it’s surprising to consider that, in a short span of time, it has almost entirely lost this association.① In my childhood, it was assumed that everyone would either be home or visit someone else’s home on Sunday. But now the question is, “What do you plan to Do this Sunday?” The answer can range from going to the mall to participating in a road to jetting to Montreal for lunch. If one were to respond, “I’m making a Sunday visit to family,” such and answer would feel strange, an echo from another era.
I suppose I should be grateful to live in Maine, a state of small towns, abundant land tight relationships. Even though folks work as hard here as they do anywhere else, the state’s powerfully rural cast（特质）still harbors at least remnants（剩余部分）of the ethic of yesterday’s America, where people had to depend on one another in the face of economic vagaries（反复无常的情况）and a challenging environment.②The writer’s general impression of the Sunday in the past was a day when_________.
| A．everyone would pay a visit to some relative far away |
| B．everyone seemed to be free and could have some leisure |
| C．Dad was not at work while Mom was busy cleaning the house |
| D．nearly every adult would go to church and children were not at school |
What can we learn from the underlined sentence in paragraph 4?
| A．People nowadays prefer staying at home on Sunday |
| B．People in the city dislike being disturbed on Sunday |
| C．Such answers are rarely heard in our modern society |
| D．Visiting someone on Sunday might take a lot of time |
From the last paragraph we may infer that people in Maine____________.
| A．suffer more from economic depression and the changed environment |
| B．have abandoned their tradition and lived an absolute new life |
| C．have tense relationships with each other |
| D．always help each other when they are in need |
What is the writer’s attitude towards the Sunday today?
| A．Unsatisfied | B．confused | C．Respectful | D．Thankful |
Believe it or not,the ability to choose is the power to change.If you can choose to live your life differently,will you be the same person?
Well,choosing to do the following few “simple”things will help to change your life.
Review your life.Take time to go through your life and ask yourself, “If I do the same thing I do every day,will there be a change?If I want to change,where will my first step be?”
Make careful choices.Choose exactly what you wish to get to live your life;describe and think what you really want
Keep up with chances.Find out about the possibilities and ways that can make you move toward your goals,write them down and see which one suits you most.
Get down to business.Start working on your goals.People may bring you down;you may have difficulties;you will fail and want to give up.But the most important thing is never to give up.
If you try these “simple”things,you will find that success is something for everyone,and you will finally become what you want to be.Remember,success is more than what you hold in your hands;It is something from the heart.How many pieces of advice does the writer give on changing one’s life?
| A．Three | B．Four | C．Five | D．Six |
Once you get down to business,the most important thing is to.
| A．see possibilities | B．set goals | C．ask for help | D．keep on trying |
The underlined word “it”in the last paragraph refers to .
| A．choice | B．change | C．success | D．life |
This passage mainly discusses the relationship between .
| A．choice and change | B．power and life |
| C．choice and difficulties | D．power and success |
The winds had finally died down,and the rains stopped.Paige and her parents were inside their house,sitting in the living room,which was dark except for a single candlelight.
“Let’s find out what’s going on outside,”Paige’s mom suggested as she turned on the small radio.
“…has moved out of the area,”an announcer’s voice boomed. “Winds reaching nearly 100 miles an hour passed through our town this morning. But,the worst is over,and it is safe to go outside.In fact,the sun is now peeking out from behind the…”
Suddenly,the radio went dead.The house was quiet again.
“Well,”Paige’s dad said, “at least we heard some good news,even if it was cut short.Let’s look out of the window and survey the damage.”
Paige ran to the window and looked outside.She saw tree branches lie on the lawn.The mailbox was broken,and some of the address letters and numbers on the mailbox were missing.
“The wind must have ripped(擦)them off,” Paige’s father noted.As he read the remaining letters he began to laugh.
The mailbox dispalyed “_ _RAIN.”
“It says “rain”,”Paige said. “That’s appropriate for a day like today!”The weather event that took place that day in the story was.
| A．an earthquake | B．a hurricane | C．a flood | D．a fire |
The living room was dark because .
| A．there were no lamps | B．someone forgot to pay the electric bill |
| C．the electricity had been cut off | D．the wind blew out the candle |
After the storm had passed,Paige’s family felt .
| A．worried | B．disappointed | C．relieved | D．scared |
The family’s last name could have been .
| A．Germain | B．Crain | C．Syrain | D．Rain |
When my son, Mark, was in the third grade, he saved all his pocket money for over three months to buy holiday presents. The third Saturday in December Mark said he had made his list and had twenty dollars in his pocket.
I drove him to a nearby supermarket. Mark picked up a hand basket and went in while I waited and watched in the car. It took Mark over 45 minutes to choose his presents. Finally he came to the checkout counter (交款处) and reached into his pocket for his money. It was not there! There was a hole in his pocket, but no money. Mark stood there holding his basket, tears falling down his face.
Then a surprising thing happened. A woman came up to Mark and took him in her arms. "You would help me a lot if you let me pay for you," said the woman. "It would be the most wonderful gift you could give me. I only ask that one day you will pass it on. When you grow up, I would like you to find someone you can help. When you help others, 1 know you will feel as good about it as I do now."
Mark took the money, dried his tears and ran back to the checkout counter as fast as he could. That year we all enjoyed our gifts almost as much as Mark enjoyed giving them to us.
I would like to say ’"thank you" to that very kind woman, and tell her that four years later, Mark went house to house collecting blankets (毯子) and clothes for the homeless people in the fire. And I want to promise her that Mark will never forget to keep passing it on.When did the story probably happen?
| A．On Christmas Day. | B．Before Christmas Day, |
| C．On New Year’s Day. | D．After New Year’s Day. |
Why did the writer want to say ’’thank you" to the woman?
| A．Because she bought Mark a nice present. |
| B．Because she always paid money for others. |
| C．Because she collected clothes for the homeless. |
| D．Because she taught Mark to help people in need. |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．A big supermarket | B．A kind woman |
| C．A happy family | D．A wonderful gift |