One of Vancouver's nicknames is Hollywood North. This name comes from the fact that Vancouver
is the third most filmed city in North America behind Los Angeles and New York City.
     Vancouver became known as a filming destination because it is a perfect stand-in(替身) for other
cities. Shot from the right angles, the downtown core could look like New York, Seattle, Boston or a
variety of other places. Also, the architectural smorgasbord(大雜燴) that is Vancouver, the low
Canadian dollar, and generous tax subsidies(稅收補(bǔ)貼) attracted film production companies to the city.
     Many would accuse Vancouver of simply being a stand-in city, and not really being of any
significance to the overall culture of film production. However, this has proven not to be the case. The
creative establishment in the film sector has realized that Vancouver is more than just a stand-in; it is a
city that is filled with talent.
     Earlier this year Pixar Studios opened an animation studio in Vancouver. The animators made famous
by such hits as Toy Story, Monsters Inc, and Wall-E, demonstrated that Vancouver is now a major player in the film industry by opening up shops in the city.
     Amir Nasrabadi, the General Manager for Pixar Canada said the company decided to open an office in the city because of the "very mature(成熟的), high-quality talent pool, driven primary by the strength of
the industry and great local universities and schools"
     For now the studio will work as a satellite branch of Pixar's California studios, but future plans
include the Vancouver studio taking on its own feature films. The British Columbia Film Commissioner, 
Susan Croome, told CTV News in an interview that "Pixar's announcement is absolutely fantastic". When
asked if this expansion of Vancouver's film industry was the result of favorable exchange rates, she
responded that it wasn't, and the company was making plans for the long term.

1. Vancouver has the nickname of Hollywood North because _______.

A. the number of films it makes is second to Hollywood
B. it is one of the most filmed cities in North America
C. it looks much like Hollywood
D. it lies in north of Hollywood

2. What is a factor that makes Vancouver an attractive city for film production?

A. Lower expenses          
B. Historical places
C. Pixar Studios opening an animation studio
D. Right angles suitable for shooting films

4. In Susan Croome's opinion, _______

A. Pixar's announcement is hard to understand
B. good exchange rates can attract famous companies
C. Pixar Studios should open more offices in Vancouver
D. Pixar's decision is based on long term considerations

5. It is suggested in the passage that Vancouver _______.

A. is more than a stand-in city for making films
B. is best known for its animation films
C. has become a major film producer
D. is a poor but talented city

     Willa Cather once said. "When people ask me whether writing has been a hard or easy road, I
always answer with the famous saying: The end is nothing; the road is all. That is what I mean when
I say writing has been a pleasure. I have never used the computer with the thought that one more task
had to be done. "
     Like most writers, Willa Cather did not write books for the money that they brought her, but rather
for the pleasure that came in their writing. Her works were, like her, simple and full of the vigor(活力)
of her days in Nebraska, where she grew from child to young womanhood and where she developed
a deep 1ove for the treeless land of the great plain with its wild flowers, wheat fields and rivers.
     "It's a rather strange thing about the flat country," she wrote later. "It takes hold of you or  it leaves
you perfectly cold. A great many people find it very dull; they like a church tower, an old factory. a
waterfall, the country all made to look like a German Christmas card…But when I come to the open
plain, something happens. I'm home. I breathe differently. "

1. Willa Cather wrote books for money, didn't she?

A. Yes
B. NO.
C. Sometimes she wrote for money.
D. We don't know.

2.Willa Cather wrote because she found writing __________.

A. simple and lively
B. opened up a road to success
C. neither too hard nor too easy
D. interesting and enjoyable

3.What was the place like where Cather grew up?

A. It was cold, plain with a church.
B. It was vast, open, flat and wild.
C. It was like a German Christmas card.
D. It was a colorful world of wild flowers.

4. What happens when Cather comes to the open plain?

A. She breathes differently from others.
B. She wants to make the place her home.
C. She feels completely comfortable.
D. She finds the place similar to her home.

     When I was growing up, I was embarrassed to be seen with my father. He was severely crippled and
very short, and when we would walk together, his hand on my arm for balance, people would stare. If he
ever noticed or was bothered, he never let on.
     It was difficult to coordinate(協(xié)調(diào)) our steps - his slow, mine impatient -- and because of that, we didn't say much as we went along. But as we started out, he always said, "You set the pace. I will try to
adjust to you. "
     He never talked about himself as an object of pity, nor did he show any envy of the more fortunate or
able. What he looked for in others was a "good heart", and if he found one, the owner was good enough
for him.
      Now that I am older, I believe that is a proper standard by which to judge people, even though I still
don' t know accurately(精確地) what a "good heart" is. But I know the times I don't have one myself.
     Unable to engage in many activities, my father still tried to participate in some way.
     I now know he participated in some things indirectly through me, his only son. When I played ball
(poorly), he "played" too. When I joined the Navy, he "joined" too. And when I came home on leave, he
saw to it that(務(wù)必保證、一定) I visited his office. Introducing me, he was really saying, "This is my son, but it is also me, and I could have done this, too, if things had been different." Those words were never
said aloud.
     He has been gone many years now, but I think of him often. I wonder if he sensed my unwillingness
to be seen with him during our walks. If he did, I am sorry I never told him how sorry I was, how
unworthy I was, how I regretted it. I think of him when I complain about small affairs, when I am envious
of another's good fortune, when I don't have a "good heart".
     At such times I put my hand on his arm to regain my balance, and say, "You set the pace, I will try to
adjust to you."

1. The author felt unhappy walking with his father because __________.

A. he was pitiful for his father's physical disability
B. it was hard for them to walk at the same pace
C. he didn't want others to know he had an ugly father
D. it was not easy for his father to keep balance

2. In the father's view, the most important quality a good person should have is __________.

A. beautiful appearance
B. excellent health
C. a smart head
D. a good heart

3. It can be inferred from the text that __________.

A. the father was proud of his only son
B. the father took part in all his son's activities
C. the author was upset when asked to his father's office
D. the author was a good ball player and outstanding soldier

4. According to the last paragraph, by saying "You set the pace. I will try to adjust to you.", the
    author means that __________.

A. he is now glad to help his father to walk
B. he regrets his unwillingness to walk with his father
C. he will follow Father's standards of being a good man
D. he will never forget how mentally strong his father was

      The year was 1932. Amelia Earhart was flying alone from North America to England in a small
single-engine airplane. At midnight, several hours after she had left Newfoundland, she ran into bad
weather. To make things worse, her altimeter failed.(The altimeter shows the height of the plane above
the ground.) At night and in a storm, a pilot is in great difficulty without an altimeter. At times, her plane
nearly plunged into the Atlantic Ocean.
     Just before daylight, there was further trouble. Amelia noticed flames coming from the engine. Would
she be able to reach land? There was nothing to do except to keep going and to hope.
     Amelia Earhart did reach Ireland, and for the courage she had shown, she was warmly welcomed in
England and the rest of Europe. When she returned to the United States, she was honored by President
Hoover at a special dinner in the White House. From that time on, Amelia Earhart became famous.
     What was so important about her flight? Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly the Atlantic Ocean
alone, and she set a record of fourteen hours and fifty-six minutes.

1. Amelia's flight was important because __________.

A. Amelia was a woman pilot
B. She set a record for the flight
C. Amelia was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic alone
D. Amelia was able to overcome the difficulties during the flight

2. She ran into bad weather. Here "ran into" means __________.

A. rushed into
B. raced into
C. met into
D. met with

3. Amelia's successful flight proved that __________.

A. women can do everything
B. women can do tings that men have done
C. men and women are equal now
D. women pilots are more successful than men pilots

4. The best title for this passage would be __________.

A. Amelia Earhart
B. A Woman Pilot
C. A Flight
D. An Honoured Women

      Seventyfouryearolds are 1.             most contented people in the world,according to a new research.
2．________ (few) responsibilities,financial worries and more free time lead to contentment previously
unknown in earlier life.According to the research,happiness 3.________ (decline) from the teenage years
to 40.It levels off until 46 and then starts to increase until peaking at 74.
      Scientists from Germany and America regularly questioned 21,000 men and women 4.________
happy they were with their lives,providing a scale from one to seven: seven indicated complete
contentment.Teenagers in their late teens marked themselves at around 5.5 which fell 5.________ around 5 by age 40.At 74,happiness averaged at 5.9.
      The report,6.________ (publish) in the journal Social Indicators Research,said this could be due to older people being more appreciative.
      It concluded,"Compared to younger individuals,older people tend to place a greater emphasis
7.________emotional aspects of social interactions and are likely to remember the emotional content of
their experiences."
      Bringing up a family,buying a house and 8.________ (create) a career add to the stresses experienced by those in 9.________ twenties and thirties.The change in happiness is apparently most obvious among
British people.The men and women 10.________ live in Germany have relatively stable levels of
satisfaction throughout their lives.

      In the animal kingdom,weakness can bring about aggression in other animals.This sometimes happens with humans also.But I have found that my weakness brings out the kindness in people.I see it every day
when people hold doors for me,pour cream into my coffee,or help me to put on my coat.And I have
discovered that it makes them happy.
      From my wheelchair experience,I see the best in people,but sometimes I feel sad because those who
appear independent miss the kindness I see daily.They don't get to see this soft side of others.Often we try every way possible to avoid showing our weakness,which includes a lot of pretending.But only when we
stop pretending we're brave or strong do we allow people to show the kindness that's in them.
      Last month,when I was driving home on a busy highway,I began to feel unwell and drove more slowly than usual.People behind me began to get impatient and angry,with some speeding up alongside me,horning(按喇叭) or even shouting at me.At that moment,I decided to do something I had never done in
twentyfour years of driving.I put on the car flashlights and drove on at a really low speed.
      No more angry shouts and no more horns!
      When I put on my flashlights,I was saying to the other drivers,"I have a problem here.I am weak and
doing the best I can."And everyone understood.Several times,I saw drivers who wanted to pass.They couldn't get around me because of the stream of passing traffic.But instead of getting impatient and angry,they waited,knowing the driver in front of them was in some way weak.
      Sometimes situations call for us to act strong and brave even when we don't feel that way.But those
are few and far between.More often,it would be better if we don't pretend we feel strong when we feel
weak or pretend that we are brave when we're scared.

1．The author has discovered that people will feel happy when ________.

A．they offer their help
B．they receive others' help
C．they feel others' kindness
D．they show their weakness

2．The author feels sad sometimes because ________.

A．he has a soft heart
B．he relies much on others
C．some people pretend to be kind
D．some people fail to see the kindness in others

3．What did the other drivers do when they saw the flashlights?

A．They speeded up to pass.
B．They waited with patience.
C．They tried their best to help.
D．They put on their flashlights too.

4．In this passage,the author advises us to ________.

A．handle problems by ourselves
B．a(chǎn)ccept help from others
C．a(chǎn)dmit our weakness
D．show our bravery

5．Which of the following is the BEST title for the passage?

A．A Wheelchair Experience
B．Weakness and Kindness
C．Weakness and Strength
D．A Driving Experience

      China's "Little People's Kingdom"is a theme park,where little people dance and sing in fairytale
costumes,drawing both curious groups and criticism.The theme park,near Kunming City in Yunnan
Province,employs 108 dwarfs from across the country,who gather on an artificial hillside twice a day to
dance and sing for tourists.And all pretend to live in a tiny hilltop village.
     The guests can watch shows like comedies,group dance and acrobatics.The show's centerpiece,a
funny performance of Swan Lake,sees performers dressed in special pink costumes and pretending to be
little swans."The first time I performed it (Swan Lake)I felt a bit embarrassed.I had never worn a skirt like that before.But later,once I got used to it,I found I could do it very well,"said Chen Ruan,21,from Hunan
Province who joined the park when it opened.
      For many of the employees,the park offers a rare opportunity to find work.As unlikely as it seems for men and women doing daily funny performances of Swan Lake,they think that it feels good to live in
dormitories that look like caves while living with people with similar experiences.In addition,the life facilities in the park are made according to their special needs.Besides,performers in the park earn 2,000 yuan a
month,around twice the salary of a high school graduate.
      The founder of the park,Chen Ming,made his fortune by producing electronics and investing,but said
he had always wanted to help the disadvantaged groups in the community.People,like human right activists for the disabled,think that such a park only encourages the discrimination against little people.
The only requirement for participants to be employed at the theme park is to be shorter than 51 inches and be able to take care of themselves in daily life.The youngest employee is 18,and the oldest 48.

1．According to Chen Ming,he founded the park to ________.

A．do good for society
B．invest money and increase his fortune
C．create a ballet show of Swan Lake
D．let people know more about the dwarfs

2．After living in the"Little People's Kingdom"for some time,many employees feel ________.

A．discriminated 
B．boring   
C．embarrassed  
D．satisfied

3．Which qualifications should the employees in the theme park meet?
a．Having the ability to look after themselves.
b．No taller than 51 inches.
c．Aged between 18 and 48.
d．Being a high school graduate.

A．a(chǎn),b. 
B．a(chǎn),c.  
C．b,d.  
D．c,d.

4．What can be learned from the text?                 

A．The employees perform for tourists in nature.
B．The employees perform twice a day.
C．The 108 employees come from all over the world.
D．The park lies in the city of Kunming.

5．What is the author's attitude towards the park?

A．Positive.  
B．Negative.
C．Neutral(中立的). 
D．Doubtful.

6．用30詞左右概括文章大意
                                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                             

     Newspapers are one method of bringing the news to the public. Reporters, photographers,
correspondents, and editors are some of the people who create newspapers. They are known as
journalists.
      Reporters are journalists who go out and get the news. They attend meetings. They cover events
such as court cases, plays, and sporting events. They interview people to get their views about what
is going on. Reporters must be able to write a story quickly so as to meet a deadline. People do not
want to read old news. They want to know what is going on as soon as it happens. Reporters
sometimes phone or email their notes and quotations (引用語) to the paper from the scene. A
reporter in the office then writes the story.
     A "stringer" is a parttime reporter who works when called on. A fire might break out in one part
of town. An editor may ask a stringer who lives near the scene to cover the story.
Reporters  often  work  with  photographers, or photojournalists. Photojournalists take the pictures
that illustrate  (圖解) the stories in a newspaper. They have to edit their pictures in time for them to
appear with the story.
     A correspondent is a journalist who covers the news in a particular place or on a subject that he
or she has special knowledge in. Large newspaper groups have correspondents in foreign countries
to report the news there. A paper may have a correspondent who covers just medical news.
     An editor is a journalist who works at a desk in a newspaper office. Editors prepare the reporters'
stories to be printed in the paper. They decide which story is most important and gets the frontpage
headline. They decide which pictures to use. Editors do not often write the news, but they do write
editorials (社論) in which they state their views on a topic or an issue.
     People who work as journalists have some things in common. They are curious, they like to write,
and they have a "nose for news". They can spot news as it happens. They know what people want to
read about.

1. The underlined word "They" in Paragraph 2 refers to________.

A. readers  
B. journalists      
C. reporters  
D. stringers

2. According to the passage, both the reporter and the editor________.

A. usually work in the office          
B. decide which pictures to use
C. have the ability to discover news    
D. often write editorials for their paper

3. The passage is mainly written to________.

A. introduce different posts and duties of journalists
B. describe the characters of journalists
C. explain how the news is collected            
D. show how reporters work

4. Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?


CP:Central Point   P:Point Sp:Sub­point (次要點(diǎn))   C:Conclusion

     Time spent in a bookshop can be most enjoyable,whether you are a booklover or merely go there to
buy a book as a present.You may even have entered the shop just to find shelter from a sudden shower.
Whatever the reason,you can soon become totally unaware of your surroundings.
     The desire to pick up a book with an attractive dust_jacket is irresistible,although this method of
selection ought not to be followed,as you might end up with a rather dull book.
     You soon become interested in some book or other,and usually it is only much later that you realize you
have spent far too much time there and must dash off to keep some forgotten appointment-without buying
a book,of course.
     This opportunity to escape the realities of everyday life is,I think,the main attraction of a bookshop.
There are not many places where it is possible to do this.A music shop is very much like a bookshop.You
can wander round such places to your heart's content.If it is a good shop,no assistant will approach you
with the inevitable greeting:"Can I help you,sir?" You needn't buy anything you don't want.In a bookshop
an assistant should remain in the background until you have finished browsing.Then,and only then,are his
services necessary.Of course,you may want to find out where a particular section is,but when he has led
you there,the assistant should retire discreetly (謹(jǐn)慎地) and look as if he is not interested in selling a single
book.
    You have to be careful not to be attracted by the variety of books in a bookshop.It is very easy to enter
the shop looking for a book on,say ancient coins and to come out carrying a copy of the latest bestselling
novel and perhaps a book about brassrubbing-something which had only slightly interested you up till then.
This volume on the subject,however,happened to be so well illustrated and the part of the text you read
proved so interesting that you just had to buy it.This sort of thing can be very dangerous.Apart from
running up a huge account,you can waste a great deal of time wandering from section to section.

1．The underlined phrase "dust jacket" means ________.

A．a(chǎn) kind of clothes  
B．a(chǎn) paper cover of a book
C．a(chǎn) dusty book    
D．a(chǎn) title of a book

2．You may spend too much time in a bookshop because________.

A．the dust jackets are very attractive
B．you start reading one of the books
C．it is raining outside
D．you have to make sure you won't buy a dull book as a present

3．In a good bookshop________.

A．a(chǎn)ll the books there are interesting
B．the assistant greets you in a warm way
C．your heart is satisfied
D．you feel that you are in a music shop

4．The best title for this passage may be________.

A．The Attraction of Bookshops
B．How to Spend Your Time
C．Bookshops and Their Assistants
D．How to Select Books