Today, people all over the world are moving out of small villages in the country to go and live in big, noisy cities. They are moving from the peaceful hills, mountains, fields, rivers and streams of the countryside to the busy world of streets, buildings, traffic and crowds. This movement from rural (鄉(xiāng)下的) areas to urban areas has been going on for over two hundred years.
In many countries, the main reason people come to live in towns and cities is work. After one or two large factories have been built in or near a town, people come to find work, and soon an industrial area begins to grow. There is usually a residential area nearby, too. The families of these workers need schools, hospitals and shops, so many people come to live in the area to provide these services and a city grows.
In every major city in the world, there is a business district where the big companies have their main offices. In the United States, this area is usually in the city center downtown. It is here that you can see many huge skyscrapers (摩天大樓) and office blocks. The people who work here often travel a long way to work each day. Many of them live in the suburbs of the city, far away from the industrial area and the city center. Some suburbs are very pleasant, with nice houses and big gardens. There are usually parks for children to play in and large department stores where you can buy all you need.
But what is the future of the big cities? Will they continue to get bigger and bigger? Perhaps not. Some major cities have actually become smaller in the last ten years, and it is quite possible that one day we will see people moving out of the major cities and back into smaller towns and villages.
小題1:The underlined phrase “a residential area” means an area ________.

A．where people can buy things

B．which is near a city center

C．where people can do business

D．which is suitable for living in

小題2:Why do people move to live in cities or towns?

A．Because they can live more comfortably there.

B．Because they mainly want to find work there.

C．Because they are sure of having a better life there.

D．Because they like noisy life better than peaceful life.

小題3:What can we know about the business district?

A．Big companies usually have their main offices in the business district.

B．People usually work and live in the skyscrapers in the cities.

C．A business district usually lies not far away from the city center downtown.

D．It’s reasonable for a business district without a park for children to play in.

小題4:We can infer that this movement from rural to urban areas ________.

A．has been going on for more than 2,000 years

B．will surely continue in the future

C．may not continue in the future

D．has now stopped already

Many women write to me perplexed(困惑的)about why they can’t form close friendships. They try new approaches, put themselves in all the right places, see therapists, and read relevant self-help books. They consider themselves interesting, loyal, kind and friend-worthy people. But for reasons unknown to them, they have a tough time forming intimate relationships. Many admit to not having even one close friend.
A recent study published in the Journal of personality and Social Psychology offers some clues as to how both nature (personality) and nurture (experience) impact our friendships. Researchers at the University of Virginia and University of Toronto, Mississauga studied more than 7,000 American adults between the ages of 20 and 75 over a period of ten years, looking at the number of times these adults moved during childhood. Their study, like prior ones, showed a link between residential mobility and adult well-being: The more times participants moved as children , the poorer the quality of their adult social relationships.
But digging deeper, the researchers found that personality—specifically being introverted (內(nèi)向的) or extroverted (外向的) — could either intensify of buffer (緩沖) the effect of moving to a new town or neighborhood during childhood. The negative impact of more moves during childhood was far greater for introverts compared to extroverts.
“Moving a lot makes it difficult for people to maintain long-term close relationships,” stated Dr. Shigehiro Oishi, the first author of the study, in a press release from the American Psychological Association, “This might not be a serious problem for outgoing people who can make friends quickly and easily. Less outgoing people have a harder time making new friends.”
Families often have to relocate — across town, across the country, or across the globe. Yet, in many cases, their kids and young adolescents haven’t yet built up a bank of friendships. So the conventional wisdom is to try to minimize moves for the sake of your child, whenever possible , and to move at the end of the academic year.
小題1:The passage is written mainly to        .

A．offer advice to women on how to form intimate relationships .

B．explain how nature and nurture impact our friendships.

C．explain how moves during childhood affect children.

D．tell us how to help children make friends.

小題2:Which of the following is true according to the second paragraph?

A．People who moved less during childhood have better social relationships.

B．The more people moved during childhood, the more friends they have.

C．The more people moved during childhood, the better they adjust to society.

D．There is no link between residential mobility and adult well-being.

小題3:In order for children to maintain long-term close relationships , parents         .

A．should not relocate their homes

B．should relocate their homes within the town

C．had better move at the end of school year

D．had better move when their children couldn’t build up a bank of friendships

小題4:We learn from the fourth paragraph that moves during childhood         .

A．have a bigger impact on an introverted person compared to extroverts.

B．have no impact on an outgoing person

C．a(chǎn)re a big problem for both introverts and extroverts

D．help children better adapt to new environment

小題5:We can infer from the passage that          .

A．our friendships are mainly affected by our nurture

B．we can move when children have made a lot of friends

C．the impact of moves will disappear when one reaches adulthood

D．there is some way to minimize the impact of moves during childhood on children

Some expressions in English can be really puzzling. Have a look at the following to see how it challenges your brainpower.
Homeric laughter
The "Homer" in this expression is the Greek poet. People laugh differently. Some laugh silently, while others tend to laugh loudly. "Homeric laughter" refers to laughter of the latter kind. It is at times uncontrollable, and the entire body shakes during the process. This kind of laughter is called Homeric laughter because this is how the gods laughed in Homer's classics.
A three-ring circus
When you refer to a situation as being a three-ring circus, you are saying that it is a situation of complete confusion. There are so many activities taking place all together that they leave you confused or annoyed. The expression comes from the world of entertainment — the circus. The area where the artists perform their acts is called the "ring". In the past, some of the circuses were so grand that they had three acts taking place simultaneously in three different "rings". The audience had to decide which "ring" they wanted to focus on.
In the swim (of things)
When someone is in the swim of things, the individual is actively participating in the things happening around him, as in "I've been ill, but soon I’ll be back in the swim of thing." In the world of fishing, fishermen use the word "swim" to refer to the section of the lake/river where fish can be found in plenty. So, if you are a fisherman and wish to catch a lot offish, where would you be? You would be "in the swim".
Chickens have come home to roost
The word "roost" refers to the place where birds rest. It could be anything — the branch of a tree, a henhouse, etc. The expression is normally used to mean that the bad things that someone did in the past have come back to bite or upset the individual. In other words, one has to face the consequences of the deeds done in the past. The original form of this 700-year-old expression was "curses are like chickens; they always come home to roost".
小題1:Which of the following can best describe the picture?

A．Homeric laughter	B．A three-ring circus
C．In the swim (of things)	D．Chickens have come home to roost

小題2:What does the underlined word "simultaneously'(Paragraph 3) mean?

A．At the same time.	B．Step by step.
C．All of a sudden.	D．One after another.

小題3:lf you want to know more about such expressions, which website will you probably visit?

A．www.chinadaily.com.cn/sports/China.html

B．www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/university.html

C．www.chinadaily.com.cn/culuture/language.html

D．www.chinadaily.com.cn/entertainment/fashion.html

小題4:The passage is written to       .

A．tell readers some old and interesting stories

B．indicate the development of English phrases

C．correct some misunderstandings about words

D．explain the meanings and origins of some phrases

Modern society cannot well do without the contribution that women can make in the professions and other kinds of work. There is a serious shortage of nurses and teachers, to mention only two of the occupations followed by women. It is a waste to give years of training at public expense only to have the qualified teacher or nurse marry after a year or two and be lost forever to her profession. The training, it is true, will help her in her duties as a mother, but if she continued to work, her service would be more widely useful. Many factories and shops, too, are largely staffed by women, many of them married. While here the question of training is not so important, industry and trade would be seriously short of staff if married women did not work.
We can see then that there are good reasons for regarding it as desirable that married women should have some occupation outside the home. However, there are serious objections. Schools do not keep children occupied the whole day and school holidays are long. The mother’s working day will almost certainly end well after the school day and her holiday will not begin at the same time as her children’s. There will be therefore a period when children are not taken care of unless a substitute for the mother can be found, or unless it becomes more generally possible for women to work part-time. There seem to be some grounds for believing that there is more bad behavior among the children of working mothers than among those of mothers who stay at home, but more evidence is required before we can be certain of this. What we can be certain of, however, is that many more will continue to do so.
小題1:According to the writer, women nurses and teachers ought to carry on their occupation after marriage because______.

A．they are not allowed to give up their jobs

B．their training should not be wasted

C．they want to make a living by themselves

D．they must still improve themselves as mothers

小題2:According to the writer, one possible way for the children of working mothers to be attended to is that________.

A．schools keep children occupied the whole day

B．their mothers change their occupation

C．their mothers do not work full time

D．their mothers should stay at home

小題3:The clause “unless a substitute for the mother can be found” means_______.

A．if someone takes over the mother’s occupation

B．if no mother works all day

C．if no one takes care of the children for the mother

D．if someone takes care of the children for the mother

小題4:The writer believes that bad behavior among the children of mothers who do not work is _________ among the children of working mothers.

A．possibly less than	B．a(chǎn)bout the same as
C．a(chǎn) little greater than	D．certainly more than

Friends play an important role in our lives, and although we can’t be more familiar with the fact of friendship, we often don’t clearly understand how we make friends, especially with Americans. Here are some pieces of advice on making friends with Americans:
　　1. Visiting places Americans enjoy: parties, churches, restaurants, parks and sports clubs.
　　2. Be willing to take the first step. Don’t wait for them to get close to you. Americans in China may not know you speak English. They may be uncomfortable if they can’t speak your language.
　3. Use small talks to open the conversation. Ask them where they’re from, why they come to China, etc. . Remember: Be careful not to ask personal questions about age, salary and so on.
　　4. Show an interest in their culture, their country or their job. Americans like to talk about themselves!
　　5. Invite them to join you for dinner or just for coffee or tea. Try to set a specific(明確的)time. Americans sometimes make general invitations like “Let’s go out for dinner sometime. ”O(jiān)ften this is just a way to be friendly. It is not always a real invitation.
　　6. Don’t expect too much at first. Maybe they’re being friendly. But maybe they want to be your good friends. It will take time to tell.
小題1:According to the text, Americans like to visit the following places except＿＿＿＿.

A．shopping centers	B．parks
C．sports clubs	D．churches

小題2:What should you say when meeting an American for the first time?

A．What’s your age?

B．How much do you get in a month?

C．Nice to meet you! Are you from America?

D．Let’s get together sometime. I want to ask you some questions.

小題3:What is mainly discussed in the text?

A．It’s very important to be a good friend of an American.

B．Some advice on how to make friends with Americans.

C．Something about the friendship in America.

D．Friendship is the most important in our life.

小題4:Which is the best way to make friends with an American?

A．To ask him if he is willing to make friends with you.

B．To spend a long time learning about him.

C．To wait until he tells you his thoughts.

D．To ask him to join you for dinner.

More Chinese are seeking out the surgeon’s knife to improve their looks.Yet the tragic death of the former Super Girl Wang Bei has made people aware of the risks of cosmetic surgery, which is becoming increasingly popular.  Wang Bei，24，is said to have gone under the knife in Wuhan，to jump-start her stage-show career. It seems that the ambitious singer has finally achieved the fame and influence after her death.
For years Miss Lu expected a plastic surgery to make her jaw fashionable narrow and her face smaller. She finally decided against it after hearing of the death of Wang Bei. "Wang Bei’s death rang the warning bell for me，"Miss Lu said in her blog." It was frightening and I gave up the plan. "
A common thread of online discussion is why someone considered beautiful was so dissatisfied with her looks. Some netizens said Wang was a victim of society’s impractical standard of beauty：double eyelids，and the pointed chin typical of Western actresses. Others said her death indicated the limits to which people would go to achieve fame and fortune.
Last year 15 billion yuan was spent on cosmetic surgery and the figure is expected to rise  20％ annually. The International Society of Plastic Surgery ranks China first in Asia in terms of the number of cosmetic surgeries in 2009. Worldwide, China is third, after Brazil, while the United States is first.
Nowadays，people are living longer and better. But the effect of aging off their appearance affects their mood and confidence. Many older women want to look young and beautiful. Young people, on the other hand, see cosmetic surgery as the key to wealth and love. "They want to improve their appearance to find better opportunities at work and in marriage，"says a famous plastic surgeon. "We’re living in a highly competitive society. People regard appearance as a weapon in life battle. Those who are young and naturally good-looking tell me，‘I don’t care how much I spend. Just make me look more beautiful.’ "
Advice from a surgeon and psychologist：
1.Choose regular, qualified hospitals with a good reputation.
2.Try to find an expert surgeon who will not suggest several operations over time.
3.Don’t expect too much from changing your appearance. Safety should be the first.
4.Have a realistic understanding of the risks of the surgery (death，injury and failure)and make a balanced decision.
小題1:What’s the influence of Wang Bei’s death on the public?

A．People will feel alarmed at cosmetic surgery.

B．Young people will have no interest in beauty.

C．Doctors will be afraid to perform operations.

D．No one will dream of becoming a Super Girl.

小題2:It is mentioned in the passage that________.

A．Miss Lu’s face is narrow and small

B．Wang Bei is a victim of the Internet

C．a(chǎn)ll Westerners have the pointed chin

D．the US ranks first in cosmetic surgery

小題3:What’s the main idea of the 5th paragraph?

A．People are living 1onger and better nowadays.

B．People are living in a highly competitive society.

C．Social competition leads females to seek beauty.

D．Cosmetic surgery is the key to wealth and love.

小題4:According to a surgeon and psychologist,it is better to________.

A．change your appearance sooner

B．make a reasonable decision

C．do several operations over time

D．try some different hospitals

We all remember seeing hitchhikers, standing by the side of the road, thumb, sticking out, waiting for a lift. But it is getting rare nowadays. What killed hitchhiking? Safety is often mentioned as a reason. Movies about murderous hitchhikers and real-life crime have put many drivers off picking up hitchhikers. That no single women picked me up on my journey to Manchester no doubt reflects the safety fear: a large, strangely dressed man is seen as dangerous.
But the reason may be more complex: hitchhiking happens where people don’t have cars and transport services are poor. Plenty of people still hitchhike in Poland and Romania. Perhaps the rising level of car ownership in the UK means the few people lift hitchhiking are usually considered strange. Why can’t they afford cars? Why can’t they take the coach or the train?
Three-quarters of the UK population have access to a car; many of the remainder will be quite old. The potential hitchhiking population is therefore small. Yet my trip proves it’s still possible to hitchhike. The people who picked me up were very interesting-lawyer, retired surgeon, tank commander, carpenter, man who live in an isolated farmhouse and a couple living up in the mountains. My conclusion is that only really interesting people are mad enough to pick up fat blokes in red, spotted scarves. Most just wanted to do someone a good turn; a few said they were so surprised to see a hitchhiker that they couldn’t help stopping.
The future of hitchhiking most likely lies with car-sharing organized over the Internet, via sites such as hitchhikers.org. But for now, you can still stick your thumb out (actually, I didn’t do much of that, preferring just to hold up my destination sign) and people-wonderful, caring, sharing, unafraid people-will stop.
In the UK, with its cheap coaches and reasonable rail service, I don’t think I’ll make a habit of it. But having enjoyed it so much, I’m ready now to do a big trip across Europe and beyond. In the 1970s a female friend of my wife’s hitchhiked to India. How wonderful it would be to have another go, though Afghanistan might be a challenge. I wish I’d got that tank commander’s mobile number.
小題1:The author tried to hitchhike but was rejected by single women drivers because          .

A．they were not heading towards Manchester

B．they thought most hitchhikers were dangerous

C．hitchhiking had been handed and they didn’t want to break the law

D．he was a strong man in strange clothes who seemed dangerous

小題2:Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Movies have discouraged people from hitchhiking

B．Car ownership levels are lower in Romania than in the UK.

C．25% of UK people don’t have access to cars.

D．Increased car ownership has reduced the need for hitchhiking.

小題3:The “fat blokes in red, spotted scarves” in Paragraph 3 most likely means    .

A．murderous hitchhikers	B．friendly and talkative hitchhikers
C．typical hitchhikers	D．strange hitchhikers like the author

小題4:According to the author, future hitchhikers are more likely to                .

A．visit websites and find people to share cars with

B．stand by roads with their thumbs sticking out

C．stick out signs with their destinations written on

D．wait for some kind people to pick them up

小題5:From the last paragraph, we know that the author         .

A．frequently hitchhikes in Britain

B．plans to hitchhike across Europe

C．thinks public transport is safer for travel

D．is going to contact the tank commander

Everyone needs recognition(賞識(shí)) for his achievements,but few people make the need known quite as clearly as the little boy who said to his father,“Let’s play darts(飛鏢).I’ll throw and you should say ‘Wonderful!’”
Fran Tarkenton,former Minnesota Vikings quarterback,once called a play that required him to block onrushing tacklers.
FEL quarterbacks almost never block.They’re usually vastly outweighed by defenders,so blocking exposes them to the risk of severe injury.
But the team was behind,and a surprising play was needed.Tarkenton went into block,and the runner scored a touchdown.The Vikings won the game.
Watching the game films with the team the next day,Tarkenton expected a big pat on the back for what he’d done.    It never came.
After the meeting,Tarkenton approached coach Bud Grant and asked,“You saw my block,didn’t you,Coach?How come you didn’t say anything about it?”
Grant replied,“Sure,I saw the block.It was great,but you’re always working hard out there,Fran.I figured I didn’t have to tell you.”
“Well,”Tarkenton replied,“if you ever want me to block again,you do!”
小題1:What does the author intend to tell us in the passage?

A．Praise can have people take risky actions.

B．Encouragement can make people achieve greater progress.

C．No recognition,no progress.

D．People will be discouraged without praise.

小題2:The author gave the little boy as an example in order to            .

A．show the importance of encouragement

B．show father’s deep love to the son

C．show the boy was complete understanding of his father

D．prove the boy was cleverer than the coach

小題3:Which of the following can describe the Fran Tarkenton’s action of blocking onrushing tacklers?

A．Quick,brave,exciting.	B．Brave,risky,successful.
C．Brave,successful,kind.	D．Fast,clever,strong.

小題4:What did Fran Tarkenton expect while watching the game films?

A．Recognition.

B．Pride.

C．Cheers.

D．Reward.

小題5:It can be inferred from the passage that    .

A．Fran Tarkenton was angry with the coach

B．the coach learned a lesson from Fran Tarkenton

C．Fran Tarkenton might not take a risk in blocking again

D．the coach will highly praise Fran Tarkenton next time he blocks

“Have a nice day!” may be a pleasant gesture or a meaningless expression. When my friend Maxie says “have a nice day” with a smile, I know she sincerely cares about what happens to me. I feel loved and secure since another person cares about me and wishes me well.
“Have a nice day. Next!” this version of the expression is spoken by a salesgirl at the supermarket who is rushing me and my groceries out of the door. The words come out in the same tone (腔調(diào))with a fixed procedure. They are spoken at me, not to me. Obviously, the concern for my day and everyone else’s is the management’s attempt to increase business.
The expression is one of those behaviors that help people get along with each other. Sometimes it indicates the end of a meeting. As soon as you hear it, you know the meeting is at an end. Sometimes the expression saves us when we don’t know what to say. “oh, you just had a tooth out? I’m terribly sorry, but have a nice day.”
The expression can be pleasant. If a stranger says “Have a nice day!” to you, you may find it heart-warming because someone you don’t know has tried to be nice to you.
Although the use of the expression is an insincere, meaningless social custom at times, there is nothing wrong with the sentence except that it is a little uninteresting. The salesgirl, the waitress, the teacher, and all the countless others who speak it without thinking may not really care about my day. But in a strange and comfortable way, it’s nice to know they care enough to pretend they care when they really don’t care all that much. While the expression may not often be sincere, it is always spoken. The point is that people say it all the time when they like.
小題1:How does the author understand Maxie’s word?

A．Maxie shows her anxiety to the author.

B．Maxie really wishes the author a good day.

C．Maxie encourages the author to stay happy.

D．Maxie really worries about the author’s security.

小題2:What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．The salesgirl is rude.	B．The salesgirl is bored.
C．The salesgirl cares about me.	D．The salesgirl says the words as a routine.

小題3:By saying “Have a nice day,” a stranger may______.

A．try to be polite to you	B．express respects to you
C．give his blessing to you	D．share his pleasure with you.

小題4:According to the last paragraph, people say “Have a good day” __________

A．sincerely

B．a(chǎn)s thanks

C．a(chǎn)s a habit

D．encouragingly

小題5:What is the best title of the passage?

A．Have a Nice Day---- a Social Custom

B．Have a Nice Day----- a pleasant Gesture

C．Have a Nice Day----- a heart-warming Greeting

D．Have a Nice Day----- a polite ending of a Conversation

I have learnt a lot about Chinese life and culture while teaching in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province and found them very interesting．
First, family life is quite   36  in China． In the USA, many young people   37  home after they finish their education and start working． However, in China, it is   38  for people to live with their parents until they get married．   39 , many of my Chinese friends told me that their  40  lived with them and helped take care of them when they were children． It seems that Americans think independence is more important   41  the Chinese think family relationships are more important．
Bargaining is another   42  that I have tried to learn． In the USA, prices are   43  and you can’t ask for a lower price． However in some small Chinese stores and tourist places, you are   44  to bargain． My Chinese friends taught me to ask for 40 percent or 50 percent   45  the original price． If the salesperson doesn’t agree to my price, I should   46  to leave and he might let me come back and sell me the item． It is a skill that you have to   47  if you live in China．
Tipping hasn’t been easier to   48 ． In the USA, many people in the service   49  want to get   50  money for serving customers． Tipping is not a part of Chinese culture．   51  I tried to tip a taxi driver． He looked a little   52  and refused to take the money．
In dinners, perhaps what surprises an American visitor most is that some of the Chinese hosts like to put food into the plates of their   53 ． Actually, this is a   54  of true friendship and politeness． My Chinese friend told me if I didn’t want to eat it, I should just   55  the food in the plate．

小題1:	A．unique B．different C．private D．harmonious

小題2:	A．come B．build C．leave D．a(chǎn)bandon

小題3:	A．regular B．true C．common D．usual

小題4:	A．Also B．However C．Therefore D．Although

小題5:	A．parents B．relatives C．babysitters D．grandparents

小題6:	A．while B．since C．when D．a(chǎn)s

小題7:	A．way B．custom C．lesson D．habit

小題8:	A．made B．a(chǎn)greed C．charged D．set

小題9:	A．expected B．taught C．suggested D．required

小題10:

A．up B．a(chǎn)way C．off D．on

小題11:

A．promise B．pretend C．decide D．hope

小題12:

A．tolerate B．understand C．practise D．consider

小題13:

A．a(chǎn)djust to B．turn to C．refer to D．stick to

小題14:

A．a(chǎn)rea B．department C．branch D．industry

小題15:

A．easy B．extra C．pocket D．prize

小題16:

A．Often B．Once C．Sometimes D．Before

小題17:

A．excited B．satisfied C．frightened D．confused

小題18:

A．own B．children C．neighbors D．guests

小題19:

A．signal B．mark C．sign D．feature

小題20:

A．leave B．remain C．put D．taste