Watching TV is a very popular pastime in the UK but what kind of programmes do British people like to watch? Well, the most-watched TV programmes every week are very popular dramas that are usually on at least four times every week. They are dramas based in one neighbourhood that try to describe ordinary life in the UK --- we call these dramas ‘soap operas’ or ‘soaps’.

       In the early days of TV, there were often dramas on during the day. Back in those days, it was traditional for the husband to go out to work and for the wife to stay at home and look after the house and the children. Most of these daytime dramas were aimed at entertaining the housewives who would traditionally be at home, probably doing the washing. Companies selling washing powder would advertise their products at times when these dramas were on, and sometimes those companies would even sponsor (贊助) the drama. Hence the word ‘soap’.

       So what about the word opera? Well, that’s because these dramas are often an exaggeration (夸大) of real life. They are supposed to represent ordinary life but to make them entertaining, lots of dramatic events like murders, divorces, affairs (風(fēng)流韻事) etc. all happen probably much more regularly than they would in a normal neighbourhood.

       Most soap operas these days are shown in the evening. Each show will have several different storylines happening at once that continue over several shows. The same cast members will appear in every show too.

       There are lots of different soaps on in the UK on different channels but there are three main popular ones. ‘Coronation Street’ has been on since 1960. It is set in a suburb of Manchester and it’s supposed to represent working class life in the north of England. Then there’s ‘Eastenders’ which started in 1985, set in the East End of London and ‘Emmerdale’, which is set on a farm in Yorkshire, in the north of England.

56. The text is mainly about ______.

       A. some popular soap operas

       B. how people spend their spare time in the UK

       C. why soap opera is so called

       D. how companies sell soaps

57. Which opera should you watch if you want to learn about people’s life in London?

       A. Coronation Street.                                 B. Eastenders.

       C. Emmerdale.                                          D. None of the above.

58. The underlined part “cast members” in paragraph 4 probably means ______.

       A. actors and actresses                              B. people who sell washing powder

       C. characters in Coronation Street               D. opera producers

59. We may infer from the second paragraph that ______.

       A. companies often sold washing powder from door to door

       B. soap operas were produced only for women

       C. men didn’t like watching TV

       D. today more women go to work

60.   Which of the following stories takes place in Manchester?

       A. Coronation Street.     B. Eastenders         C. Emerdale           D. None of the above.

A couple had two little boys aged 8-10, who were very naughty. They were always getting into   36   and their parents knew that if   37   wrong happened in their town, their sons were probably   38  .

The boy’s  mother  heard  that  a  clergyman (牧師)  in  town had been successful in   39   children, so she asked if he   40   speak with her boys. The clergyman agreed but asked to see   41   of them. So the mother sent her 8-year-old   42   in the morning, with the older boy to see the clergyman in the afternoon.

The clergyman, a huge man with a deep   43  , sat  the younger boy down and asked him   44   “Where is God?”

The boy’s   45   dropped  open,  but he  made  no   46   sitting there with his mouth   47   open, wide-eyed. So the clergyman   48   the question in an even more serious tone “Where is God?” Again the boy made no answer. Then the clergyman   49   his voice even more and   50   his finger in front of the boy’s face and shouted “WHERE IS GOD?”

The boy screamed and   51   off from the room, hurried directly home and hid   52 

  53   him in the closet, he asked “What happened?” The younger brother gasping for breath replied “We are in BIG trouble this time.   54   is missing and they think   55   did it.”

― He seems to have learned all the English words by heart.

― _______. He spends at least two hours on English every day. But of course there is still much more for him to learn.

A. So he does        B. So does he       C. So he has            D. So has he

I wonder if John has forgotten my number. I       him to call me for the past two hours.

A. was expecting                                       B. have expected   

C. have been expecting                              D. expected

 International football matches always ______ better understanding between countries all over the world.

A. benefit from             B. reach for           C. make for           D. have advantage over

 Do you think this novel is good ______ for your money?

A. worth                      B. cost                  C. value                        D. price

Persons under 18 ______ not be employed in night work in the United States.

A. can                      B. may                  C. will                        D. shall

―The price is fine with me. How would you like ______ paid?

―Well. It’s up to you.

A. one                          B. this                   C. that                          D. it

In New York city nearly all the streets are in straight lines, ______ from east to west. Those that run from north to south are called avenues.

A. running                    B. to run                C. are running               D. run

You’d better think twice before you decide to buy a product an advertisement ______.

A. makes                      B. suggests            C. shows                      D. confirms