There are probably no people on Earth who like to gossip as much as the British. If prying into(打探) other’s lives were an Olympic sport, then Team GB would surely take the gold medal.
And when the British can’t watch the lives of real people, they have another source of entertainment to fall back on—the soap opera． British soap operas are very different to US TV dramas. For one, they are normally longer running. The two most popular, Coronation Street and East-enders, have been running for 48 and 24 years respectively. Both are broadcast several times a week, so remarkably there have been more than 7,000 episodes of Coronation Street.
The most obvious difference is that, unlike US dramas, the British soap operas focus on the real world． There is little glamour (魅力), the stars are rarely rich, and they normally have boring jobs. Perhaps the appeal is that the lives of the characters often mirror the lives of the audience—but with some drama added． This means the viewer can relate to the characters and feel the pain and happiness they go through on the show.
Because these soap operas last for decades, the cast is ever changing. The shows rarely focus on one or two main characters. Like the real world, people come and go all the time. However, there are exceptions. Coronation Street’s William Roach, 76, has played the role of Ken Barlow since the very first episode of the show in 1960, and he is still a regular.
The choice of which soap opera you follow is often cultural: People from the north of British tend to watch Coronation Street as it is set in Manchester. People from the south generally prefer East-enders, which is set in the east of London. The show is generally considered grittier and is aimed at a younger audience.What is the main difference between American dramas and British soap operas?
| A．American dramas are longer. |
| B．British soap operas are longer. |
| C．American dramas deal with dangerous things. |
| D．British soap operas deal with real people. |
Why do British people like to watch such operas?
| A．They can find their own life from the operas. |
| B．They can enjoy the operas in their free time. |
| C．They can watch the operas for many years. |
| D．They care about the fate of the characters in the operas. |
The underlined world “episodes” in the 2nd paragraph probably means ______.
| A．plays |
| B．pages |
| C．issues |
| D．parts |
One characteristic of British operas is that ______.
| A．the characters play the same role for a long time. |
| B．the characters in the play often change |
| C．people don’t know what will happen next |
| D．there is only one or two characters in them |
This year 2,300 teenagers ( young people aged from 13-19 ) from all over the world will spend about ten months in U.S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions (印象) of the real American teenagers. American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and have a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George's family. In return, George's son, Mike, spent a year in Fred's home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months study, the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected — much harder. Students rose respectfully (尊敬地) when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The family's word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual (个人). Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
“Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it.”
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. “I suppose I should criticize (批评) American schools.” he says. “It is far too easy by our level (水准). But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens (市民). There ought to be some middle ground between the two.” The whole exchange program is mainly to ____.
| A．help teenagers in other countries know the real America | B．send students in America to travel in Germany |
| C．let students learn something about other countries | D．have teenagers learn new languages |
What did Fred and Mike agree on?
| A．American food tasted better than German food. | B．German schools were harder than American schools. |
| C．Americans and Germans were both friendly. | D．There were more cars on the streets in America. |
What is particular (特别的) in American schools?
| A．There is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings. |
| B．There are a lot of activities after school. |
| C．Students usually take 14 subjects in all. |
| D．Students go outside to enjoy themselves in a car. |
What did Mike think after experiencing the American school life?
| A．A better education should include something good from both America and Germany. |
| B．German schools trained students to be better citizens. |
| C．American schools were not as good as German schools. |
| D．The easy life in the American school was more helpful to students. |
In Canada you can find dogs, cats, horses, etc. in almost every family. These are their pets. People love these pets and have them as their good friends. Before they keep them in their houses, they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections(注射)so that they won't carry disease. They have special animal food stores, though they can get animal food in almost every kind of store. Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food. When you visit people's houses, they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them. You will also find that almost every family has a feeding place for birds in their garden. All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal. They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada. They have a law against killing wild animals. If you killed an animal, you would be punished. If an animal happened to get run over by a car, people would be very sad about it.
People in Canada have many reasons to like animals. One of them might be that their family ties are not as close as ours. When children grow up, they leave their parents and start their own life. Then the old will feel lonely, but pets can solve this problem. They can be good friends and never leave them alone. The passage mainly talks about____ .
| A．how to keep disease from pets | B．pets in Canada |
| C．how to take good care of pets | D．life of the old in Canada |
They give their pets injections before
keeping them at their houses because ____.
| A．the pets are sick | B．the pets are wild |
| C．they want to stop them from getting sick | D．they want them to sleep on the way home |
In Canada, children leave their parents when they grow up because ____.
| A．they don't love their parents any more | B．they can only find jobs far from their parents |
| C．their parents’ houses are too small | D．they wouldn't depend on their parents any more |
Which of the following is TRUE？
| A．People buy animal food only at the animal food stores. | B．Pets eat better than people. |
| C．Almost every family has a birdcage in his house. | D．Any bird can come to the bird feeders to eat. |
In choosing a friend, one should be very careful. A good friend can help you study. You can have fun together and make each other happy. Sometimes you will meet fair weather friends. They will be with you as long as you have money or luck, but when you are down, they will run away. How do I know when I have found a good friend? I look for certain qualities of character, especially understanding, honesty and reliability (可靠).
Above all else, I look for understanding in a friend. A good friend tries to understand how another person is feeling. He is not quick to judge. Instead, he tries to learn from others. He puts himself in the other person's place, and he tries to think of ways to be helpful. He is also a good listener.
At the same time, however, a good friend is honest. He does not look for faults in others. He notices their good points. In short, a friend will try to understand me and accept me.
Another quality of a friend is reliability. I can always depend on a good friend. If he tells me he will meet me somewhere at a certain time, I can be sure that he will be there. If I need a favor, he will do his best to help me. If I am in trouble, he will not run away from me.
There is a fourth quality that makes a friend special. A special friend is someone with whom we can have fun. We should enjoy our lives, and we would enjoy our friendship. That is why I especially like friends who are fun to be with. A good friend likes the same things I like. We share experience (经验) and learn from each other. A good friend has a good sense of humor, too. He likes to laugh with me. That is how we share in the joy of being friends. And I know that he is looking for the same quality in me.
When I meet someone who is reliable, honest, and understanding, I know I've found a friend!Which of the following qualities the writer thinks is the most important in choosing a friend?
| A．understanding. | B．honesty. | C．reliability. | D．a sense of humor. |
If you have fair weather friends, ______ .
| A．they will give you all that they have when you need help |
| B．you will be refused when you get into trouble |
| C．you will become rich |
| D．you can be sure that you get real friends |
Good friends need to ______.
| A．always point out each other's mistakes | B．be helped with money |
| C．understand each other's feelings | D．have money or luck |
This passage mainly discuss ______ .
| A．the qualities of a friend | B．where to choose friends |
| C．how to get along with friends | D．the importance of having a friend |
In spite of the television and other ways to pass information, the newspaper is still an important source. Many people begin their day by reading the paper. In this way they learn what is going on in the world. Sometimes, however, they don’t have time to read the news carefully and must be satisfied with a quick look at the front page, at other times, they may be in such a hurry that they have time only for a glance at headlines.
In the United States there are newspapers to satisfy all kinds of readers. In big cities there are many types of papers, with several different editions（版本） every day. In the small towns there are fewer newspapers and perhaps only one edition each day. In some areas the paper is even printed weekly.
Another type of publications that help the population know what is happening in the world is magazines. Some magazines are published weekly, others are put out monthly. There are news magazines, and magazines for special interests as sports, photography and music. In the United States, you can find the right thing for every taste and interest.In order to know what is happening in the world, .
| A．people should read the whole newspaper carefully |
| B．people should read a newspaper as the first thing in the morning |
| C．one should at least have a quick look at the headlines |
| D．one doesn’t have to read the front page |
In the United States, .
| A．people read more newspapers than in other countries |
| B．there are different newspapers even in a small town |
| C．people can read at least one newspaper each week |
| D．people spend a lot of time reading the Sunday section |
Magazines are .
| A．weekly or monthly newspapers | B．a kind of publications |
| C．special reading materials for fun | D．just like newspapers |
In the first paragrgh the underlined word “glance” probably means .
| A．quick look | B．quick movement | C．angry look | D．unpleasant look |
A young woman carrying a three-year-old child got on a bus. The conductor hurried to give her a warm welcome and then kindly asked the other passengers to make more room for the woman and her child. On seeing this, people began to talk. "You know this conductor used to be very rude. Now suddenly he has changed his bad behavior , "said a middle-aged man.
"Yes, he should be praised and we must write a letter to the company," said a second passenger. "That's right," another lady said, "I wish a newspaper reporter were here so that more people could learn from this conductor. "
Just then a gentleman who looked like a teacher turned to the conductor and said , "Excuse me, but can I know your name, please? Your excellent service must be praised..."
Before he could open his mouth, the three-year-old child sitting on the young woman's lap interrupted, "I know his name. I call him Dad."The passengers were _____ to see the conductor's kindness to the woman and the child.
| A．excited | B．pleased | C．interested | D．surprised |
One passenger suggested writing a letter to the company to ______ .
| A．make a demand for more buses | B．thank the conductor for his good service |
| C．criticize the conductor for his rude behavior | |
| D．invite a newspaper reporter to write about the conductor |
What was the gentleman?
| A．A teacher. | B．A newspaper reporter. |
| C．Not known from the story. | D．The conductor's friend from his company. |
It is clear from the story that the conductor _______.
| A．has changed his attitude towards his work | B．has now been kind and polite to all passengers |
| C．has not changed his rude behavior to passengers | D．has now been kind and polite to women with children |