For new countries joining the European Union, and other ones getting used to their dark red passports, becoming “Europeans” is a bit like marrying into a large, eccentric(古怪的)family. Europeans have a lot in common but it is their difference, not their similarities, that attract the attention of sociologists(社會學家)and market researchers, and are more interesting.

　 ★ 35% of Germans live alone, but only 9%of Spaniards. Perhaps this explains why Spaniards lead Europe in the habit of going out for a drink.

　 ★The British attend more adult evening classes than anyone else in Europe, and the Belgians least. So it can’t just be the dark evenings. There are no figures on how many Britons go for a drink afterwards. If there were, they might be up at the top with Spain!

　 ★The British think black cats are lucky. Every other European country regards them unlucky.

　 ★The Dutch and Germans are greatest caravanners(活動房居住者), but the Germans like bigger beds in their caravans.

　 ★The French are the most athletic Europeans. Next come the Dutch. But the Belgians, just over the border, play fewest sports.

　 ★The Germans spend twice as much on heating as the Spaniards. Well, of course they do, it’s colder.

　 ★Dutch husbands do the household shopping a lot more often than Italians or Spaniards.

　 ★The French are the champion public transport commuters(經常往返者)of Europe. If you hate commuting, go and live in the Netherlands, where journeys to work are shorter than anywhere else.

　 ★The amount of direct eye-contact between strangers is three times greater among Spaniards than it is among the British or Swedes. Sharing a lift is torture for both the British and the Swedish.

　 ★No European countries really agree with any other about how to make good coffee. All of them are different.

　 There are exceptions(例外)to all these rules. Deal with them in the spirit of my 8-year-old daughter. “If you don’t understand each other’s language, you just laugh a lot, and eat, and point at things.”

1. We can know from this passage that____.

　 A. sociologists are most interested in the idea of European Union

　 B. most European countries are not willing to join the European Union

　 C. Europeans have more differences than similarities

　 D. trade opportunities exist in the cultural differences in the European Union

2. If you work or live in Belgium, you will____.

　 A. have to change your living places often

　 B. seldom see people playing sports

　 C. not get used to its cold weather

　 D. be invited to go for a drink frequently

3. What does the underlined sentence “Sharing a lift is torture for both the British and the Swedish.” mean?

　 A. The British and the Swedish care about their safety most.

　 B. The British and the Swedish like to appear gentle and smart.

　 C. The British and the Swedish hate to look at each other face to face.

　 D. The British and the Swedish enjoy a richer life than others

4. In the last paragraph, the author wants to express his idea that ____.

　 A. his daughter knows well how to understand foreigners in unfamiliar situations

　 B. Europeans actually share the same culture even if they have different languages

　 C. being a European, you will have no living trouble at all in the European Union

　 D. there are differences between European countries, but don’t take it too seriously

The drunken driver, rather than the passers-by 　　 for the traffic accident．

A．was to be blamed　　 　　　 B．was to blame　　

　 C．were to blame　 　　　　　 D．were to be blamed

— Do you feel like taking a walk in the park?

— ____.

　 A. You may ask your brother to go, too

　 B. Yes, but I can’t afford the time

　 C. No, I’m really it this evening

　 D. No, I’d like it

The girl is really t _______ to see a jewel in the corner of the street，but it turned out to be only glass.

She looks forward every spring to _______ the flower-lined garden.

A. visit　　　　 B. paying a visit　

C. walk in　　　 D. walking in

The squirrel was lucky that it just missed _____.

A. catching 　 B. to be caught　 C. being caught 　 D. to catch

There is _____ rain in summer in the south this year.

A. many 　 　　　B. plenty of

C. a great many 　 D. a great number of

　 Early in the morning of June 29, 1991, Carrie and Morgenstern were watching the field. Although they could see nothing through the thick fog, they kept their camera running.

　 By 6 a.m. the fog began to lift. A remarkable pair of circles had been flattened. Stalks (主莖) were bent but not broken. Outside the circles the wheat was untouched. Muddy though the field was, there were no footprints or other marks. The circles seemed to have come from nowhere. “ I can’t explain it at all ,” Mike Carrier said to himself with his eyes wide open.

　 Carrier is not alone since the early 1980s, more than 2000 circles have appeared in farmer’s fields. Most circles form at night between May and August.

　 Some believe the circles are caused by deer or some other animals. Others think of UFOs. “The circles are messages given by those who come from outer space,” says Michael Green. “Perhaps they are trying to get in touch with us.”

　 Pat Delgado has done research on crop circles since 1981. He believes that they are caused by “ some form of earth energy.”

　 Most scientists think that there’s no scientific basis to back up Green’s or Delgado’s theories. Some of them say, “ We think they’re nothing but hoax(騙局).”

　 In September 1991, Doug Bower and Dave Chorley told newsmen that since 1979 they had made circles throughout southern England to fool people who believed in UFOs.

Since the early 1980s, Dr. Terence Meaden has visited more than1000 circles. Now he thinks he may have the answer. He believes true crop circles are made by vortex(旋風) which can flatten the crop in circular patterns.

　 Now crop circles are still found in southern England each summer. Are they really the traces of UFOs?

1. On the morning of June 29, 1991, Carrier and Morgensern hoped to________.

A. record the important thing　　　 B. draw a conclusion

C. find a secret of nature　　　　　 D. see something funny

2. When he saw the crop circle, Mike Carrie was________.

A. satisfied　　 B. frightened　　 C. surprised　　 D interested

3. Most scientists consider that theories of Green and Delgado are_________.

A meaningful　　　　 B. reasonable

C instructive　　　　 D. against the laws of science

4. According to the article we may know that all the crop circles______.

A. are made by those who come from outer space

B. are nothing but hoaxes

C. are not hoaxes　　　 D can be explained by scientists

你介意捎我一程去學校嗎？（give...a lift）