Sixteen is a special age in the United States． There's often a special celebration for a girl's 16th birthday﹣﹣﹣a big party called Sweet﹣16． It is like a wedding reception（结婚晚宴） in the number of guests and gifts handed out．
About a month before the party， the girl's family sends out invitations to the guests． They must buy a special present for the birthday girl and the girl guests find good dresses to wear． A sweet﹣16present usually costs ﹩40 to ﹩60． This is about ﹩20 more than the usual﹣cost of a birthday present．
The party itself is not held at someone's house． The hostess rents（租赁） a reception hall for the event． Food， cake and a DJ are provided． Around 6 o'clock， guests arrive and meet the birthday girl． Then the girl and her father have a special father﹣daughter dance． After that， guests dance for about 30 to 45 minutes．
Then there is the most important part of the Sweet﹣16 party， the candle﹣lighting ceremony．
The sweet﹣16 hostess stands behind 16unlit（未点燃的） candles and dedicates（献给） each candle to her friends， family， and anything that she feels is important to her． A lot of crying and hugging goes on at this time．
Afterwards， people sit and eat． Most guests begin leaving around 11 o'clock．
This school year， I have been to two Sweet﹣16s． I am one of the youngest students in my grade （My birthday is in December）． I'll have to wait another year before I can have my own special Sweet﹣16 party． I can't wait for it!
（1）Why is sixteen a special age for an American girl？
（2）How much does a usual birthday present for a teenager cost in the USA？
（3）What is the most important part of the Sweet﹣16 party？
（4）How old is the writer？
（5）What do you think of the Sweet﹣16party in the USA？（请自拟一句话作答）
The first part of a new science-fiction series （系列剧）was shown on NBC last night. Star Trek is about a spacecraft（宇宙飞船）which travels faster than the speed of light. The show is developed from three ideas about the 22nd century. First, we’ll find other life forms great tools which will make amazing things possible.
Let’s think about these predictions. If we find life forms on other planets, will they be intelligent? I hope so. But we human beings might not be friendly – I don’t think we’ll believe in the idea o fpeace one hundred years from now. But this is science fiction, so we can be optimistic! And Star Trek’s idea of life in the future is ‘communicators’. And we will be ablt to have conversatins with people who are on because you’ll have an electronic notebook. And if you get ill, the doctor won’t have to examine you – a machine will ‘read’ your body. The strangest manchine includes a ‘teleport’ which will take people to a different placein a second!
The ideas are interesting, and in my opinion there’s only one problem with star trek: the acting. The TV company （公司）will have to get better actors. If they do that, the show might be a success. If the acting doesn’t improve, Star Trek won’t last for more than one series. Of course, my prediction may be wrong. I can’t see into the future!What is Star Trek?
| A．A TV play. | B．A popular song. |
| C．A spacecraft. | D．An alien. |
What does the underlined word “optimistic” mean?
| A．Lucky and happy. |
| B．Hopeful and confident. |
| C．Helpful and creative. |
| D．Thankful and popular. |
What’s the writer’s opinion about Star Trek?
A. The life forms on other planets are stupid.
B. Interesting ideas make a new series popular.
C. The new series might not be successful without better actors.Which would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Aliens on Other Planets. |
| B．The Idea of Human Life. |
| C．A Science Fiction. |
| D．A New Series about Future. |
Today there are many fires than in the past. Over 100,000 wildfires burn each year in America. Russia has 20,000 to 35,000 wildfires every year. Australia has on average 60,000 each year. These fires destroy（损害）huge areas of forests and burn hundreds of homes.
Many experts believe there are several reasons for this sudden increase in fires. The first reason is climate（气候）change. Recent weather has been warmer and drier. This leads to dangerous fire conditions. When lightening strikes（发生雷电），dry grass easily catches fire. Hot winds add to the problem. The wind spreads a fire quickly. In 2010, Russia had the hottest and driest summer in a century. In just one month, 500 fires destroyed over 2,000 homes. Some people lost their lives.
Traditional fire-fighting practices are another reason for the increase in fires. In America, firefighters used to quickly put out every fire. They didn’t allow the grass and trees to burn. As a result, today many forests have thicker vegetation（植被）.Thicker vegetation means more fuel（燃料）for fires. Also, without fires from time to time, forests become overcrowded and unhealthy. Some trees are dead. The dead wood then easily catches fire. So surprisingly, America has many more fires today partly because of its past fire-fighting practices.
Scientists now understand that a fire can be a natural part of a healthy forest. As a result, countries like Australia allow more fires to burn naturally. Sometimes, fire fighters even start fires to get rid of（去除）dead wood. Of course, they carefully control the fires. The fire thins out old trees. This allows sunlight to reach the ground. As a result, fires help new trees to grow. Therefore, if a fire is not a serious threat（威胁）to people, firefighters may let it burn naturally.Why did Russia have so many fires in one month in 2010?
| A．Because lightening spread the fire. |
| B．Because there was much fuel for fires. |
| C．Because there were not enough firefighters. |
| D．Because it was unusually hot, dry and windy. |
What is the main idea of Paragraph 4?
| A．Fires are serious threats to human beings. |
| B．Australian firefighters don’t put out fires. |
| C．Fires can play an important role I forests. |
| D．It’s difficult for firefighters to control the fires. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Not all the fires in the forests must be put out.
B. People’s carelessness leads to dangerous fires.
C. Australia allows all the fires to burn naturally.
D. There are more fires in Russia than in the USA.
请阅读下面短文，根据短文内容从每小题 所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项，并在答题卷上将该项涂黑。（每小题2分）
A
| The Cartoon Museum Come and see the best of British cartoon art. There is something for everyone—including popular cartoon characters and a great shop full of funny books and cards. Price: ￡4.00 Opening times Tuesday – Saturday 10:30-17:30 Sunday 12:00-18:00 |
Cox’s Hotel Tel: 01789 404600 E-mail:info@coxshotel.co.uk Website: www.coxshotel.co.uk Opening times Coffee shop: 9:00am-6:00pm Tea room: 10:30am-5:30pm Pub (酒吧): 12:00- midnight (1:30am on Friday/Saturday) |
| Stratford Butterfly(蝴蝶)Farm Tel: 01789 299288 Price Opening Hours E-mail: sales@butterflyfarm.co.uk￡5.50 adult Summer 10am-6am Visit: www.butterflyfarm.co.uk www.jxyyjx.com ￡4.50 child Winter 10am-4:30pm ￡16 family |
Where can we get funny cards when we visit English?
| A．In the Cartoon Museum. |
| B．On Stratford Butterfly Farm. |
| C．At Cox’s Hotel. |
| D．At Cox’s pub. |
Which is the proper time to go to the pub at Cox’s Hotel?
| A．9:00-18:00 on Friday. | B．10:30-17:30 on Tuesday. |
| C．12:00-1:30 on Saturday. | D．10:00-16:30 on Monday. |
How much should four college students pay for a visit to Startford Butterfly Farm?
| A．£ 16. | B．£ 32. | C．£ 18. | D．£ 22. |
Tony and Jane give their opinions about keeping pet dogs.
| Keeping pet dogs is a good idea, says Tony I think people should be allowed to keep pet dogs. There are lots of reasons for this. First, dogs are really cute. It’s nice to pick them up and hold them in our arms, and it’s wonderful to see them growing up quickly. Second, your dog might not be dangerous but by simply barking(吠)he can keep away a burglar(窃贼)who might think of entering your house. Finally, we can also learn about life and death from dogs. Young people can learn how to care for others and how to respect(尊重)all living things by keeping a pet dog. I think keeping pet dogs is something everyone can enjoy. |
Keeping pet dogs is not a good idea, say Jane In my opinion, it is never a good idea to keep a pet dog. Firstly, pet dogs creates a lot of mess. They leave fur(毛) and hair on the floor, on beds and on sofas, and they need to be washed daily. Secondly, we should remember that not all dogs are friendly. Some dogs bark at people they do not know. A few dogs bark all night. This stops their neighbors from getting any sleep. A small number of pet dogs even bite(咬) people. Lastly, you have to make sure pet dogs are in good health and provided with good pet products. Paying for dog food and visiting the vet when dogs are ill can be expensive. I believe that people should not keep pet dogs. |
Tony would probably think it____ to put pet dogs on beds.
A. uncomfortable B. acceptable C. dangerousThe underlined word “they” in the passage refers to(指) “ ____”.
A. beds B. sofas C. pet dogsFrom the underlined part, we can guess “vet” means“ ____”.
A. 兽医 B. 宠物店 C. 驯兽师Tony and Jane disagree on ____.
A. the growth of pets
B. the sound made by dogs
C. the money paid for pets It can be learned from the passage that ____.
A. people are not allowed to keep pet dogs
B. people are encouraged to keep pet dogs
C. opinions are divided on keeping pet dogs
Peking Opera(Beijing Opera), is one of the most ancient forms of drama in the world. The roles in it were Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, Chou, Wuhang, and Longtao during its early age. But with the development of Peking Opera, there are four main roles in it today: Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou.
Sheng——Men Roles
Sheng are the men roles in Peking Opera, which can be divided into Laosheng, Wusheng, Xiaosheng and Wawasheng.
Laosheng are middle-aged or older men who are decisive and honest. Hongsheng, a type(种类) of Laosheng, have a red face. There are only two roles knowns as Hongsheng. One is Guan Gong and the other is Zhao Kuangyin. Wusheng are young generals skilled in martial arts(武术). Xiaosheng are clean-shaven(没有胡须的) and handsome. Wawasheng are children’s parts.
Dan——women Roles
Dan are women roles that can be divided into different types—— Laodan, Qingyi, Huadan, Wudan and Caidan.
Laodan play old and clever women. Qingyi are the main women roles. Huashan, a type of Qingyi, was created by Mei Lanfang, who played an important role in shaping Peking Opera. Huadan are lively and unmarried women roles. Wudan characters are woman skilled in martial arts. Caidan are clowns(小丑) in funny plays and comedies.
Jing——Painted Face Men Roles
A Jing role is an important man character with striking(吸引人的) looks and high social position. There main types of Jing are Tongchui, good at singing and usually a general; Jiazi, good at acting with less singing; and Wujing, a martial arts and acrobatics(杂技) role.
Chou——ComedyRoles
Chou are comedy roles in Peking Opera. There are Wenchou who speak, act and sing, and Wuchou who both speak and fight. What makes this type of painted face role special is a small patch(块) of white chalk around the nose. One of the famous roles is the Monkey King, who has a special position in the hearts of all who are interested in Chinese opera.The passage is mainly about____.
A. the roles in Peking Opera
B. the development of plays
C. different forms of dramas ____ are both good at martial arts.
A. Wawasheng and wenchou
B. Wusheng and Wudan
C. Wuchou and Caidan ____ belong to the same role type in Peking Opera.
A. Wujing and Huadan
B. Tongchui and Jiazi
C. Laosheng and LaodanWhich of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Mei Lanfang created a type of Qingyi—Hongsheng.\
B. Zhao Kuangyin and Guan Gong are two roles know as Xiaosheng.
C. The Monkey King has a special position among Peking Opera fans. From the passage, we know Picture ____ is a Chou role.
