Long ago, people in Rome (羅馬) talked to one another in Latin (拉丁文). Pupils in school learned to read
and write in Latin. Books are in Latin.
     Some Romans (羅馬人) went to other parts of the world. They took their language with them. Soon Latin
was used in many countries. It became a world language.
     People in other countries did not talk in Latin the same way. In each land, they changed the language a little.
As time went by, they made more changes. At last they did not talk in Latin any more. New languages had
come from the old one.
     People do not talk to one another in Latin today. But they still use many Latin words. You do, too. Street,
wall, city, and salt are some of the Latin words we use. You are a pupil in school. Pupil is a Latin word. It
means "little doll".

1. Latin was used by people in _____.

A. Rome
B. the United States
C. Greece (希臘)
D. Texas

2. The word in the story that means what people speak and write is ______.

3. The story says, "People do not talk to each other in Latin today. But they still use many Latin words,"
    The word "they" means ______.

4. Which of the following does this story lead you to believe?

A. It is not good to change a language.
B. Pupils in schools today play with dolls.
C. Not many people can read Latin today.

5. What happened to Latin when it was taken to other countries? (which sentence is exactly like the one in 
    your book?)

A. In each land, people talked about each other.
B. In each land, they changed the language a little.
C. In each land, the children had to speak some Latin.

6. The main idea of the whole story is that ______.

A. Romans did not like to stay home
B. people in old Rome talked a lot to each other.
C. Latin changed as it moved from land to land.

    A Leg Walking Right
    Here are some signs + - x..., the signs are very different. They mean very different things. When you see
them, you know what to do. This sign + means that you will add some numerals. This sign-means that you
will take one numeral away from another. You will subtract (減去). What will you do when you see x and...? 
    Our signs are easy to read. They are easy signs to remember. Look at these two signs….The ancient
Egyptians used these signs. A picture of a leg walking to the left told them to add some numerals. A picture
of a leg walking to the right told them to subtract.
     In the 1500s people used this printed (印刷的) sign & to add numerals. After a while the sign began to
look like this... Later, the sign became +.
     How much is 2...2?

1. What do you do when you see this sign +?

A. Walk away
B. Write a numeral
C. Read a sign
D. Add

2. The word in the story that means to take one numeral away from another is _____.

3. The story says, "Our signs are easy to read. They are easy signs to remember".The word "they" 
    means _____.

4. Which of the following does this story lead to believe?

A. Egyptians could not add numerals together
B. All Egyptians had two left legs.
C. Our signs are not hard to understand

5. What did the sign to add numerals begin to look like (which sentence is exactly like the one in your book)?

A. After a while, the sign began to look like this...
B. After a while, the sign began to look like this +.
C. After a while, the sign began to look like this &.

6. The main idea of the whole story is that _____.

A. the signs for adding and subtracting have changed
B. People could not write in the 1500s
C. the old signs were good for Egyptians but not for us

    In 1896, the first modern Olympic Games was held in Athens, Greece. Since then many countries have
successfully held the Olympics, such as England, France, Germany, Canada, the USA, Spain and Australia. After
more than a century the Games returns to its hometown last year.
    When people hold the Olympic Games, they always make an emblem. The emblem of the Athens Olympic
Games last year was a white circle of olive branches in the sky.
    Now Athens is developing a spirit of peace. An officer said, "While in Athens, the world should be at peace.
We hope the peace is not just for a short time. We would like the message from the Athens Games to help
countries come together and solve their problems."
    Three years later, the Olympic Games will be held in China. And China has already made a seal as the
emblem of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The emblem has a single Chinese character on a red seal and
means "Chinese seal-dancing Beijing". Below it, there are the words "Beijing 2008". The character in the emblem
is "Jing". It means "capital" of China and it is also a runner or a dancer. The running figure of the emblem shows
the spirit of the Olympics-faster, higher and stronger.

1. In which country was the first modern Olympics held?

A. Greece
B. China
C. Australia

2. What do people always make when they hold the Olympic Games?

A. A picture.
B. An emblem
C. A flag

3. What message does the Athens Olympic Games want to give?

A. Luck
B. Danger
C. Peace

4. How many years have passed when Athens again holds the Olympic Games?

A. 101
B. 105
C. 109

5. The spirit of the Olympic Games is _______.

A. history and friendship
B. faster, higher and stronger
C. peace, friendship and development

     Sandwich was an Englishman. He lived in the 18th century (世紀(jì)). Sandwich was rich (有錢的), but he
liked to play cards (紙牌) for money. He often played for 24 hours, and didn't even stop to have his meals.
He ordered (命令) his servants (仆人) to bring him some meat and bread. He put the meat between (在兩者
之間) the two pieces of bread and held the food in his left hand while he played cards with his right hand.
People liked Sandwich's idea, and from then on they ate bread and meat as Sandwich did.
     From the name of the man, Sandwich, we have the word of the food sandwich today.

1. Sandwich was the          .

A. name of a servant
B. name of a man with a lot of money
C. poor man who lived on playing cards
D. name of food which was liked by the rich

2. Sandwich          .

A. was so interested (興趣) in playing cards that he often had no time to have his meals
B. often brought some bread with him to play cards
C. never ate anything when he played cards
D. had no money to play cards with at last

3. People liked Sandwich's idea because          .

A. bread, together with meat was cheap
B. he always won when he played cards
C. they liked Sandwich himself
D. when they ate with one of their hands they could do something with the other

4. Today, sandwich is          .

A. also a name of a rich man
B. two pieces of bread with meat in between
C. not interested in playing cards
D. not liked by most of the people

5. As food, sandwich          .

A. is usually made of (用...制做) bread and chicken
B. sometimes smells (聞) good, but sometimes not
C. is made of bread and meat
D. is easy for us to play

     In 1826, a Frenchman named Niepce needed pictures for his business. But he was not a good artist.
So he invented a very simple camera (照相機(jī)). He put it in a window of his house and took a picture of
his garden. That was the first photo.
     The next important date in the history of photography (攝影術(shù)) was in 1837. That year, Daguere,
another Frenchman, took a picture of his reading room. He used a new kind of camera in a different way.
In his picture you could see everything very clearly, even the smallest thing. This kind of photo was called
a Daguerreotype.
     Soon, other people began to use Daguerre's way. Travelers brought back wonderful photos from all
around the world. People took picture of famous buildings, cities and mountains.
     In about 1840, photography was developed. Then photographers could take picture of people and
moving things. That was not simple. The photographers had to carry a lot of film and other machines. But
this did not stop them, for example, some in the United States worked so hard.
     Mathew Brady was a famous American photographer. He took many pictures of gread people. The
picture were unusual because they were very lifelike (栩栩如生的). 
     Photographers also became one kind of art by the end of the 19th century. Some photos were nor just
cooies of the real world.They showed and feelings, like other kinds of art.

1. The first photo taken by Niepce was a picturte of ______.

A. his business 　　
B. his house　　
C. his garden 　　
D. his window

2. The Daguerrotype was ______.

A. a Frenchman　　　　
B. a kind of picture 　　
C. a kind of camera 　　
D. a photographer

3. If a photographer wanted to take pictures of moving things in the year of 1840, he had to ______.

A. watch lots of films
B. buy an expensive camera
C. stop in most cities
D. take many films and something else with him.

4. Mathew Brady ______.

A. was very lifelike 　　 　　
B. was famous for his unusual pictures
C. was quite strong 　　　　
D. took many pictures of moving people

5. This passage tells us ______.

A. how photography was developed
B. how to show your ideas and feelings in pictures
C. how to take pictures in the world
D. how to use different cameras

     Hainan Island
     Capital: Haikou
     Population: more than 7 million
     What to see: Wanquan River Dongshan Ridge
     Hot Springs Hairui Tomb
     Hainan Island is the second largest island of China. Haikou, the capital of Hainan Province, is in the
northeast of the island. It is the largest city on the island. It is a pretty city with an interesting flower market.
In the south of the island, there is scuba diving, fishing and boating. If relaxing is in your plan, then there are
long white beaches to walk along.
     Hainan Island is the place to be, whether it's summer or winter!

1. What's the capital city of Hainan Province?

A. Sanya
B. Haikou
C. Wenchang
D. Qionghai

2. What can people not do in the south of Hainan Island?

A. scuba diving
B. skating
C. fishing
D. boating

3. Which season is good for people to go and visit Hainan Island?

A. In spring and autumn.
B. In summer.
C. In winter.
D. Any season is OK.

4. Which city is famous for "Tianya Haijiao"-"the edge of the sky and the rim of the sea"?

A. Haikou.
B. Sanya.
C. Tianjin.
D. Dalian.

5. Which of the following is NOT clear in the reading?

A. The population of Hainan Island.
B. What people can see on the island.
C. Where to relax.
D. The time people can go to the market to buy beautiful flowers.

                                                   The Fashionable Tang-style Costume
    Located① in Changle Road on the side of Shanghai Jinjiang Hotel, the “Tang-style Costume Street” has been enjoying high popularity for its traditional Chinese attire② following the costume pattern of Tang Dynasty (618-907) . Its fame③ soared④ higher after the APEC⑤ meeting in Shanghai at which Tang-style costumes were offered for APEC leaders.?
    On the street are custume shops of various grades and features. Some sell modern costumes with traditional touch, such as cloth-knotted⑥ buttons and round flower patterns. Others offer 100 percent traditional attire.? 
    Most shops sell costumes, so you can enjoy the Chinese costumes. Why are the Chinese costumes so popular now? It's in touch with the high development of our country. The getting-in-fashion was also owned to APEC leaders. They all wore Tang-style costumes at Shanghai meeting. This has proved an old saying that only things of a national touch can prevail⑦ in the world.?
Notes: 1. locate   v.  位于，坐落于?
           2. attire   n.  服裝，盛裝?
           3. fame   n.  名聲?
           4. soar    v.  猛增?
           5. APEC  亞太經(jīng)合組織?
           6. cloth-knotted   adj.  用布打結(jié)的?
           7. prevail  v.  流行? 
1. Does the Tang-style Costume Street locate in Shanghai??
                                                                                          
2. Where did APEC leaders wear the Tang-style costumes? ? 
                                                                                          
3. Are the modern costumes with traditional touch in fashion? ?
                                                                                          
4. Most shops sell Tang-style costumes, do they??
                                                                                          
5. What's the old saying for the fashion??
                                                                                          

                                                        
     Zhang Qian was an early traveler. He was probably the first man to bring back good information about the
central Asian lands to China.
     In 138 BC, Han Wudi sent Zhang Qian to the Yue-chi people to ask for their help against the Xiongnu.
Unfortunately, on the way to West Regions, he was caught by the Xiongnu people. Zhang had to stay with them
for about 10 years before he got away. When Zhang at last reached the Yue-chi in Northern India, he was
disappointed to find that they didn't want to fight against the Xiongnu people.
     On his return journey (旅程), Zhang Qian and his men were again caught. It was not until 125 BC that they
returned to China. Although Zhang didn't finish his job he learned a lot about the places, people, customs and
cultures of the 36 kingdoms (王國(guó)) of Western Regions.
     Han Wudi then sent Zhang to the west again. Zhang's journey to the west helped with international trade,
especially in silk, between China and the West.

1. Zhang Qian was sent to the West because ________.

A. Han Wudi wanted to make friends with the Xiongnu people
B. he liked travelling all over the world too much
C. Han Wudi needed the help from the Yue-chi people
D. he hoped to learn the cultures of other countries

2. What do the underlined words "West Regions" mean in Chinese?

A. 西歐
B. 西域
C. 西亞
D. 西方

3. When did Zhang Qiang reach the Yue-chi?

A. In 138 BC.
B. In about 148 BC.
C. In about 128 BC.
D. In 125 BC.

4. Which of the following is TRUE?

A. Zhang finished his job successfully in the end.
B. Zhang did not return at last because he was caught.
C. Zhang returned to China in about 125 AD.
D. Zhang learned a lot about the West Regions.

5. How many times has Zhang Qian been to the west?

A. Only once.
B. Twice.
C. Three times.
D. Four times.

    Popular breakfast foods in the United States, as in many other countries around the world, include coffee,
milk, juice, eggs and bread. Some other breakfast items served in the United States are thought by many to be
traditionally American. However, they actually come from other countries.
    A very popular breakfast food in America is the pancake---a thin, flat cake made out of flour and often served
with maple syrup. The idea of the pancake is very old. In fact, pancakes were made long ago in ancient China.
    Bagels, a round thick bread with a hole in the middle, are also popular for breakfast in America. Polish people
in the late 1600s came up with the idea for the first bagels and this new kind of bread soon took off across
Eastern Europe.
    In the late 1800s, thousands of Jews from Eastern Europe traveled to the United States and brought the
recipe for bagels with them. Today, New York bagels are said to be the best in the world. Many people have
them with cream cheese for breakfast on the go.
    Doughnuts (usually spelled "donut" in the United States) came from France. They were served to American
soldiers in France during World WarⅠ(第一次世界大戰(zhàn)). After the war, American soldiers asked cooks in the
United States to make doughnuts for them. Now, served with coffee, they are a very popular breakfast food
across the United States.

1. This reading is mainly about _______.

[     ]

A. famous places in the United States to eat breakfast
B. popular American breakfast foods coming from China
C. the most popular types of pancakes in the United States
D. the history of popular breakfast foods in the United States

2. Which of the following is true for both bagels and donuts?

[     ]

A. They both came from Europe.
B. They are both easy to make.
C. They are both sweet.
D. People in New York make them best.

3. Who brought bagels to America?

[     ]

A. Polish people.
B. Jewish people.
C. Chinese people
D. American soldiers.

4. Which of the following is true about doughnuts?

[     ]

A. It was first made by the French.
B. The soldiers invented them in World War I.
C. Only soldiers eat them in the Untied States.
D. It is round with a hole in the middle.

5. This passage tells us that ________.

[     ]

A. the Americans like to eat sweet foods for breakfast
B. all American foods come from other countries
C. not all American foods are really American
D. very few Americans have breakfast every day