The speed and convenience of modern travel means that destinations that used to take a long time to travel to can now be reached quickly and easily. Even though” faraway” countries may now seem closer thanks to air travel, they may still be different from your home country. 小題1:  Following are some fundamental rules that will make communication easier, and your trip more enjoyable.
小題2:   If you don not know the word for something in local language, or can not make yourself understood verbally, try drawing a picture, or pointing to an object.
Avoid topics of conversation that you think may be sensitive. 小題3:  .Feel free to show interest in the history and customs of the place you are visiting, but don’t ask too many questions about why things are done a certain way; you may offend the local people.
    小題4:  Kissing on the street or in public places is unacceptable behavior and should be avoided. If you are unsure of how to behave, watch the local people and copy them---if they don’t behave in a certain way, you probably shouldn’t either.
Finally, if you are traveling on business, or plan to stay with a host to family, and you wish to take a gift, do some research.   小題5:    . One of the easiest ways to offend somebody is to give the wrong gift.
Wherever you go in the world, always be tolerant of the local customs. Avoid being critical; try instead to show respect for the values of the country you are in, even if you do not necessarily agree with them

A．Keep in mind that in many cultures, display affection in public is considered taboo.

B．Consider the main lifestyle of the country you plan to visit.

C．Never raise your voice in order to make yourself understood.

D．If a topic is sensitive in your own culture, it will more than likely be the same in other cultures.

E．The idea of the perfect gift varies greatly from country to country.
F．The opening of gifts is also treated very differently around the world.
G．Therefore, it is important to adapt your behavior not to offend the local people.

If you are invited to a party by the Austrians and the suggested dress is "informal(非正式的)" (usually marked in the lower left-hand coner of the invitation) , it may mean dark suit and a white shirt for men and cocktail dress( 短短服) for women. Or again, may mean something considerably less formal. "Formal" means a black tie and evening dress for men and a floor-length dress for women. If a man is in doubt(拿不準(zhǔn)) about what to wear, he may come slightly overdressed and then take his coat and tie off when he sees that others are wearing sports shirts. National dress is always acceptable.
小題1:If a lady receives an invitation marked with "formal", she should wear

A．a(chǎn) long dress

B．a(chǎn) cocktail dress

C．a(chǎn) short dress

D．a(chǎn) dark suit

小題2:Suppose you are a man invited to an informal party by an Austrian, you'd better          .

A．wear dark clothes and dark suit

B．dress yourself in a dark suit and a white shirt

C．wear a coat and so on

D．wear sports shirts

小題3:The general idea of this passage is                .

A．men and women should be dressed differently

B．national dress is always useful

C．what to wear if a person is invited to an Austrian party

D．men and women should dress themselves beautifully

小題4:The meaning of "overdressed" is                .

A．dressing oneself a little too formally	B．dressing oneself a floor-length dress
C．wearing one's tie	D．dressing a sports shirt

Every culture has a recognized point when a child becomes an adult, when rules must be followed and tests passed.
In China, although teenagers can get their ID cards at 16, many only see themselves as an adult when they are 18. In the US, where everyone drives, the main step to the freedom of adult life is learning to drive. At 16, American teens take their driving test. When they have their license, they drive into the grown-up world.
“Nobody wants to ride the cheese bus to school,” said Eleanor Fulham, 17. She brought the pressure back to memory, especially from kids from wealthier families. “It’s like you’re not cool if you don’t have a car,” she said.
According to recent research, 41% of 16 to 19-year-olds in the US own cars, up from 23% in 1985. Although, most of these cars are bought by parents, some teens get part-time jobs to help pay.
Not all families can afford cars for their children. In cities with subways and limited parking, some teenagers don’t want them. But in rich suburban areas without subways, and where bicycles are more for fun than transportation, it is strange for a teenager not to have a car.
But police say 16-year-olds have almost three times more accidents than 18 and 19-year-olds. This has made many parents pause before letting their kids drive.
Julie Sussman, of Virginia, decided that her son Chad, 15, will wait until he is 17 to apply for his learner’s permit.
Chad said he has accepted his parents’ decision, although it has caused some teasing from his friends. “They say that I am unlucky,” he said, “But I’d rather be alive than driving, and I don’t really trust my friends on the road, either.”
In China, as more families get cars, more 18-year-olds learn to drive. Will this become a big step to becoming an adult?
小題1:Which may serve as the BEST title of the article?

A．Cars Helping You to Grow-Up	B．Driving into the Grown-Up World
C．Teenagers’ Driving in America	D．Recognized Point of Becoming an Adult

小題2:16-year-old drivers have more accidents possibly because           .

A．they want to show themselves off	B．they are never experienced drivers
C．older people always drive better	D．they never drive carefully on the road

小題3:Which may NOT be taken into consideration when deciding whether to buy a car?

A．How well off the family is.

B．Whether the kid is old enough.

C．What traffic condition there is around.

D．Whether it’s practically needed.

小題4:When Chad said “I don’t really trust my friends ...”, he meant that           .

A．he might run into his friends if he drove

B．he didn’t agree with his friends

C．he might not be safe if his friends drove

D．he was afraid that his friends might well lie to him

小題5:The passage mainly gives information about           .

A．a(chǎn)n American culture

B．a(chǎn) cultural difference between America and China

C．a(chǎn) change in the Chinese culture

D．the relationship between driving and a person’s development

There is one word that is on the lips of Americans, day and night: “Sorry.”
One time as I was walking on the street, a young man ran by hurriedly, brushing against my handbag. Even as he continued on his way, he turned back and said “sorry” to me. Even in a rush, he didn’t forget to apologize. One day, after I bought a mango, the salesman was giving me the change, but I wasn’t ready for it and a coin dropped to the ground. “I’m sorry,” he said while bending down to pick it up. I was puzzled—why would he apologize when it is my fault?
Another time, I stepped on a man’s foot in an escalator, at the same time, we both said “sorry”. I thought it interesting, was it really necessary for him to apologize? Later on, an American friend explained to me that according to the American mentality, the escalators a public place, and everyone should be able to stand in it. After someone occupies a position in the elevator, making it difficult for someone else to find a place to stand, isn’t it necessary to express an apology?
If you go to the movies and the tickets happen to be sold out, the ticket seller will say: “Sorry, the tickets are sold out.” Whenever one of your hopes goes unfulfilled, an American will say “sorry” as a sign of sympathy.
During my stay in America, I often came across situations in which I was supposed to say “sorry”. Gradually, I realized that when friction（摩擦）appears in daily life, Americans don’t care much about who is wrong; If someone is troubled, a “sorry” is always necessary. When this happens, even if the other person is hurt, the “sorry” cools tempers and human kindness is shown. Perhaps this is why I never saw anyone quarreling on the buses, subways or streets of America.
小題1:How many examples are given to show that Americans like to say “sorry”?

A．One

B．Two

C．Three

D．Four

小題2:When the author was walking on the street, a young man ran by hurriedly ______.

A．a(chǎn)nd took away his bag	B．a(chǎn)nd touched his bag
C．to help him with his bag	D．to brush his bag

小題3:Which of the following plays a different role in the passage?

A．Paragraph 2

B．Paragraph 3

C．Paragraph 4

D．Paragraph 5

小題4:At last, the author’s attitude towards the Americans’ “sorry” seems to be ______.

A．a(chǎn)ngry

B．interested

C．a(chǎn)pproving(贊成)

D．disappointed

小題5:The best title for the passage can be “_______”.

A．My life in America	B．Americans’ “sorry”
C．My experience in an escalator	D．The meaning of “sorry”

Photos that you might have found down the back of your sofa are now big business!
In 2005, the American artist Richard Prince’s photograph of a photograph, Untitled (Cowboy）, was sold for $ 1, 248, 000.
Prince is certainly not the only contemporary artist to have worked with so-called “found photographs”—a loose term given to everything from discarded(丟棄的） prints discovered in a junk shop to old advertisements or amateur photographs from a stranger’s family album. The German artist Joachim Schmid, who believes “basically everything is worth looking at”, has gathered discarded photographs, postcards and newspaper images since 1982. In his on-going project, Archiv, he groups photographs of family life according to themes: people with dogs; teams; new cars; dinner with the family; and so on.
Like Schmid, the editors of several self-published art magazines also champion (捍衛(wèi)) found photographs. One of them, called simply Found, was born one snowy night in Chicago, when Davy Rothbard returned to his car to find under his wiper(雨刷） an angry note intended for some else: “Why’s your car HERE at HER place?” The note became the starting point for Rothbard’s addictive publication, which features found photographs sent in by readers, such a poster discovered in our drawer.
The whole found-photograph phenomenon has raised some questions. Perhaps one of the most difficult is: can these images really be considered as art? And if so, whose art? Yet found photographs produced by artists, such Richard Prince, may riding his horse hurriedly to meet someone? Or how did Prince create this photograph? It's anyone's guess. In addition, as we imagine the back-story to the people in the found photographs artists, like Schmid, have collated (整理）, we also turn toward our own photographic albums. Why is memory so important to us? Why do we all seek to freeze in time the faces of our children, our parents, our lovers, and ourselves? Will they mean anything to anyone after we've gone?
In the absence of established facts, the vast collections of found photographs give our minds an opportunity to wander freely. That, above all, is why they are so fascinating.
小題1:The first paragraph of the passage is used to _________.

A．remind readers of found photographs

B．a(chǎn)dvise reader to start a new kind of business

C．a(chǎn)sk readers to find photographs behind sofa

D．show readers the value of found photographs

小題2:According to the passage, Joachim Schmid _________.

A．is fond of collecting family life photographs

B．found a complaining not under his car wiper

C．is working for several self-published magazines

D．wondered at the artistic nature of found photographs

小題3:The underlined word "them" in Para 4 refers to __________.

A．the readers	B．the editors
C．the found photographs	D．the self-published magazines

小題4:By asking a series of questions in Para 5, the author mainly intends to indicate that ________.

A．memory of the past is very important to people

B．found photographs allow people to think freely

C．the back-story of found photographs is puzzling

D．the real value of found photographs is questionable

小題5:The author’s attitude towards found photographs can be described as _________.

A．critical

B．doubtful

C．optimistic

D．satisfied

On a hot African morning, Leila was lying on her stomach and an elephant was walking towards her. Leila waited. Then she pushed the button on her camera. “And I got my best photo of an elephant ever, by lying under my car,” Leila explained. “I wanted to get close to the elephants, but of course this was dangerous; they had their babies with them. So every morning I used to park my car in the open near the path (小道). They used to take the same path every morning when they left the water hole. After a week, they were used to seeing my car. So the next morning, I lay under it and got my photo!”
Many of the best wildlife photos come from good planning. In Africa, photographers set up their hides (隱匿處) near water holes. They also set up hides near forest paths, as animals use the same paths every night. For bird-watching, many lakes have hides. Inside the hides, bird-watchers can watch all day in the shade (蔭處) out of the wind and rain.
Good wildlife photos are needed for books, postcards, magazines and newspapers. But a success rate of 1 in 20 is good.
小題1:Why did Leila lie under her car on the stomach?

A．Because she wanted to sleep.

B．Because she wanted to take photos but was afraid of the animals.

C．Because it’s easy to see the elephants.

D．Because it’s very comfortable.

小題2:How can photograpers take good photos?

A．By making good preparation.	B．By going into the forest at night.
C．By walking around the holes.	D．By going to the nearest lake.

小題3:Which of the following statements is right according to the passage?

A．All animals go to water holes at night.

B．Lakes are good places for bird-watching.

C．Leila used her car to prevent the sunshine.

D．Animaals pay no attention to photographers.

小題4:What can we know from the underlined sentence?

A．The successf rate of taking wildlife photos is 50% at most.

B．Photographers who take wildlife photos need more practice.

C．To take good wildlife photos is not difficult.

D．It’s hard to take good wildlife photos.

Battle of the Books
Each year in April, the “Battle of the Books” teams from each school meet for the Semi-Battle competition. The top three teams from each division go on to the Final Battle to compete for gold, silver and bronze medals. The gold medal winners go on to compete in the Regional Championship.
Battle of the Books Rules and Goals
Goals:
Students: Have fun reading good books from a wide variety of authors and genres(體裁).
Educators: Encourage reading, foster friendly competition, and nurture the love of books in young people.
Rules:
One team of six students from grades 7 or 8 will represent each school.
1. Each team will have a spokesperson. While the team is encouraged to discuss possible answers, team answers will only be accepted from the spokesperson.
2. The Semi-Finals will consist of three rounds of play, and the Finals will have one round. Each round features a Regular Battle and a Lightning Battle.
3. Regular Battle questions will be addressed to teams alternately(輪流地), regardless of the last correct answer. There will be 12 Regular Battle questions per round. When asked a question, teams will have 20 seconds to provide the book’s title and author.
4. Five points will be given if the team correctly identifies the exact title, and three points will be awarded for correctly identifying the author’s surname. The author’s first name does not need to be identified.
5. The Lightning Battles will be featured at the end of each round. Lightning Battles consist of a 2 minutes, 30 seconds time period during which each team is asked up to 12 questions. These questions concern details of the books and will not require teams to identify titles or authors. Each correctly answered Lightning Battle question will be worth three points.
PLEASE NOTE:
A warm-up practice question will be given to each team at the beginning of its first Semi-Battle and at the beginning of the Final and Regional Final Battles.
There may be no assistance from the coordinators and audience members.
Teams will not be punished for incorrect answers.
Any team demonstrating poor sportsmanship will not be invited back.
小題1:According to the text, “Battle of the Books” is an activity ______.

A．where students are inspired to write books

B．where books are used as arms in the battle

C．where friends compete with each other

D．where readers are motivated to love books

小題2:How many questions will be asked in the Semi-Finals?

A．72

B．24

C．36

D．12

小題3:What information can we get from the text?

A．Teams are given 20 minutes to answer a question.

B．A competitor gets 18 points for 6 correct titles.

C．Each round ends with the Lightning Battles.

D．A correct first name will be given 5 points.

小題4:If a team doesn’t compete fairly, it ______.

A．won’t be given a warm-up practice	B．won’t get help from audience members
C．will be reduced in its points	D．won’t be allowed to compete next time

Mark Twain is a name not usually connected with Broadway(百老匯), but now his play “Is He Dead” will receive its first public performance on November 29.
“Is He Dead” was written by Mark Twain in 1898 but was never performed. It was rediscovered in 2002 by Shelley Fisher Fishkin, an English professor and director of the American Studies Program at Stanford University. It was published the following year by the University of California Press.
The story is about a group of poor artists who fake the death of their friend in order to increase the value of his work.
“Is He Dead” is set in France in the 1840s and centers on the French painter Jean-Francois Millet. “Millet was probably the most popular European painter in the United States in Twain’s lifetime,” Fishkin said in a telephone interview. “Americans greatly admired him because he focused on the life of the common man and the common woman.”
According to Fishkin, “Is He Dead” is a satire(諷刺) about how value is created in the art world. Twain wrote the play when he was coming out of the hardest time of his life.
小題1:What’s “Is He Dead” about?

A．The death of a poor artist in the 1840s.

B．A trick played by a group of poor artists.

C．A story about the French painter Jean-Francois Millet.

D．An experience Mark Twain had gone through.

小題2:From the second paragraph we learn that ______.

A．the play was one of Mark Twain’s early works

B．no one knew the play until 2002

C．Fishkin is an expert on Mark Twain’s works

D．the play was published in 2002

小題3:According to Fishkin, Jean-Francois Millet was admired by Americans because ____.

A．he was a famous French painter at that time

B．he focused on the life of ordinary Americans

C．his works showed respect for ordinary people

D．Mark Twain agreed on his thoughts

小題4:We can infer from the passage that Mark Twain ______.

A．had experienced several difficult times for no money

B．was a good novelist but a bad playwright(劇作家)

C．was a writer who only cared about ordinary people’s life

D．was dissatisfied with some methods of creating the value of art work

When Christopher Columbus landed on a land without name in 1502, he saw many Indians wearing gold earrings. So he thought the land must be rich in gold. He named the place Costa Rica, which means “rich coast” in Spanish.
Though little gold was found, Costa Rica today is indeed rich with coffee and bananas. Coffee is the most important product in Costa Rica and most of it is exported  to other countries like America and West Germany. Bananas are the country’s second most important export.
Costa Ricans also grow many other crops such as fruits, corn and beans for their own use. Costa Ricans love colors and their houses are painted in bright colors.
Education is very important to the Costa Ricans. Almost every village has a school and education is a must for children between seven and fourteen years of age. Boys and girls go to separate  schools. Classes begin in March and end in November. The other three months of the year are harvest time and the children have to help their parents to pick coffee beans.
小題1:What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?

A．How Columbus found Costa Rica.	B．How Costa Rica got its name.
C．What the Costa Ricans wore.	D．What language the Costa Ricans spoke.

小題2:The Costa Ricans may NOT paint their houses ______.

A．pink and red

B．grey and black

C．blue and green

D．yellow and orange

小題3:In Costa Rica, boys and girls between seven and fourteen ______.

A．must go to school	B．study in the same school
C．do not have to go to school at all	D．can choose to stop schooling at any time

小題4:From December to February, school children in Costa Rica ______.

A．have lessons every day	B．have their examinations
C．help their parents pick coffee beans	D．help their parents decorate their houses

小題5:This passage is mainly about ______.

A．Christopher Columbus	B．Costa Rica
C．some products from Costa Rica	D．the education of Costa Rica

Brighton is in the county of East Sussex, on the South coast of England. Situated between the English Channel and the South Downs, Brighton is 90 km from London. Brighton's nearby neighbor, Hove, is seen by some as a more desirable location than Brighton and it is often referred to by locals as "Hove, actually".
Brighton is a small city but there's probably as much going on here as anywhere in the country except London. Brighton has numerous entertainment facilities, which additionally serve a considerable business conference industry. There's a huge range of entertainment venues, including comedy at the Brighton Komedia, world music, opera and ballet at the Brighton Dome, jazz at the Joogleberry, top stars at the Brighton Centre and pre-West End shows at the Theatre Royal. The live music scene is also alive and well with several bands originating from the Brighton area going on to have commercial success in recent years.
Every year in May, Brighton hosts the "Brighton Festival" ------ the largest arts festival in England. Brighton's theatres, concert halls, streets and some of the city's most extraordinary venues host an array of art, entertainment and extravaganza (盛大表演). The earliest feature of the festival, "Open Houses" ------ homes of artists and crafts people, opened up to the public as galleries and usually sell the works of the inhabitants and their friends.
Students at the two universities in the area give the city a youthful vitality (活力), and in the summer, thousands of young students from all over Europe gather in the city to attend language courses. In addition to the usual coastal attractions, vacationers are drawn to the city's Georgian architecture, trendy shops, and fine restaurants. Points of interest also include the Edwardian Preston Manor, the ornate Royal Pavilion, the engaging Sea Life Center, and a variety of museums and art galleries.
小題1:What's the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

A．To introduce Brighton to the readers.

B．To attract foreign students to study in Brighton.

C．To show his admiration for the city of Brighton.

D．To list entertainments in Brighton.

小題2:What does the first paragraph mainly tell us?

A．The term of "Hove"

B．The situation of Brighton.

C．The county of East Sussex.

D．The distance between Brighton and London.

小題3:According to the passage，where can you go if you enjoy watching opera?

A．Brighton Komedia.	B．Joogleberry.
C．Theatre Royal.	D．Brighton Dome.

小題4:Why do people in Brighton have a good time in May every year?

A．Because they can enjoy all kinds of music played by top artists.

B．Because top stars from the world will go to Perform there.

C．Because the largest arts festival in England is held there.

D．Because the local people can appreciate works in the Open Houses.