Without proper planning, tourism can cause problems. For example, too many tourists can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the inhabitants of a country. If tourists create too much traffic, the inhabitants become annoyed and unhappy. They begin to dislike tourists and to treat them impolitely. They forget how much tourism can help the country and how tourism affects them. Tourism should help a country keep the customs and beauty that attract tourists. Tourism should also advance the well-being (health and happiness) of local inhabitants.
Too much tourism can be a problem. If tourism grows too quickly, people must leave other jobs to work in the tourism industry. This means that other parts of the country’s economy can suffer.
On the other hand, if there is not enough tourism, people can lose jobs. Businesses can also lose money. It costs a great deal of money to build large hotels, airports, air terminals, first-class roads, and other support facilities needed by tourist attractions. For example, a major international-class tourism hotel can cost as much as 50 thousand dollars per room to build. If this room is not used most of the time, the owners of the hotel lose money.
Building a hotel is just a beginning. There must be many support facilities as well, including roads to get to the hotel, electricity, sewers（陰溝） to handle waste, arid water. All of these support facilities cost money. If they are not used because there are not enough tourists, jobs and money are lost.
【小題1】 Which of the following has most probably been discussed in the paragraph that goes before the passage?

A．It is extremely important to develop tourism.

B．Building roads and hotels is essential.

C．Support facilities are highly necessary.

D．Planning is of great importance to tourism.

【小題2】 Too much tourism can cause all these problems EXCEPT ______.

A．a(chǎn) bad impact on other industries

B．A change of tourists’ customs

C．overcrowdedness of places of interest

D．pressure on traffic

【小題3】 It is good for local people to be well aware that tourism will _____.

A．use up a large amount of water

B．weaken their economy

C．help establish their traditions

D．help improve their life

Why do Chinese people love hot pot so much? As the winter months begin to settle in, I find myself wondering what it is about this traditional meal, which has existed for more than 1，000 years, that makes it a Chinese food favorite．But it seems that the answer lies beyond the dish itself．
Hot pot isn't just designed to keep you warm during the cold months; it's also a social experience．It's a "theater” cuisine that turns a meal into an event．There is a lot of fun for everyone to have in adding ingredients to the hot pot．
Hot pot is eaten over two to three hours．For this reason, it is often, considered an evening's entertainment, and time to spend with friends and family．However, many westerners would be put off by the idea of other people sticking chopsticks in their food．When we come to eat at the table in the UK, we tend to have our own individual portions （份額）, although the experience is still a social one．
A similar experience to the hot pot one can be found in Korean barbecue restaurants, which let you cook your own meat．This allows people to have their meat done however they want．
For most Westerners, the idea of going to a restaurant to cook their own food is bizarre （古怪的）．But having given hot pot a go, I find it's now one of my favorite meals in Beijing．The steam from the pot left my clothes smelling of food when I got home, but perhaps this is also part of the experience．When the chilly （刺骨的） wind is blowing outside, just grab （抓） some chopsticks, some good friends, and dig in．For me it's like throwing a dinner party where my taste buds （味蕾） and my appetite are equally satisfied in the warm company of friends．
【小題1】According to the author, hot pot is popular in China because ________．

A．it is a fun social experience

B．it has been developing for over 1,000 years

C．it involves many unique ingredients

D．it keeps people warm in winter and it is creative

【小題2】We can conclude from the article that generally British people _______.

A．prefer a Korean barbecue to Chinese hot pot

B．find it interesting to cook their own food in restaurants

C．don't like sharing food with others

D．don't mind the smell of food staying on their clothes after dinner

【小題3】The underlined word "put off" in the third paragraph probably means _____

A．excited

B．disappointed

C．puzzled

D．discouraged

【小題4】What is the tone of the article?

A．Appreciative

B．Longing

C．Humorous．

D．Serious．

The world's native languages are dying out at an unprecedented(空前的) rate, taking with them irreplaceable(不能替代的) knowledge about the natural world, according to a new study.
The study identified five global "hot spots" where languages are vanishing faster than anywhere else ---- eastern Siberia, northern Australia, central South America, the US state of Oklahoma and the US Pacific Northwest. "Languages are suffering a global extinction crisis that greatly goes beyond the pace of species extinction," linguistics(語言學的) professor David Harrison noted, who said half of the world's 7,000 languages were expected to disappear before the end of the century.
Native people had an intimate(詳盡的) knowledge of their environment that was lost when their language disappeared, along with other certain things often unfamiliar to us, Harrison stressed. "Most of what we know about species and ecosystems is not written down anywhere, it's only in people's heads," he said. "We are seeing in front of our eyes the loss of the human knowledge base."
Harrison was one of a team of linguists who carried out the study. The researchers traveled to Australia this year to study native languages, some of the most endangered. According to Harrison, in Australia, they were heartened to see a woman in her 80s who was one of the only three remaining speakers of the Yawuru language passing on her knowledge to schoolchildren. He said such inter-generational exchanges were the only way native languages could survive. "The children had elected to take this course, no one forced them," he said. "When we asked them why they were learning it, they said,‘This is a dying language, we need to learn it'." Also, while there they found a man with knowledge of the Amurdag language, which had previously been thought extinct.
The researchers said all five of the hot spots identified were areas that had been successfully colonized and where a dominant language such as Spanish or English was threatening native tongues.
【小題1】What does this text mainly talk about?

A．A study on native languages endangered.

B．The knowledge of native languages.

C．People's efforts in saving native languages

D．Harrison and his study on languages.

【小題2】According to Harrison, language extinction       .

A．causes the researchers lots of worries

B．speeds up the pace of species extinction

C．threatens the existing of Spanish and English

D．brings about a loss of knowledge about the environment

【小題3】Which of the following can be described as good news?

A．Native languages became less endangered in Australia.

B．A man was found with knowledge of the Amurdag language.

C．Researchers were well received by native people in Australia.

D．Many schoolchildren showed interest in the Yawuru language.

To me，life without music would not be exciting.I realize that this is not true for everybody.Many people get along quite well without going to the concert，and listening to the record. But music plays an important part in everyone’s life，whether he realizes it or not.Try to imagine，for example，what films or TV plays would be like without music.Would the feelings，the moving plot，and the greatest interests，be so interesting or dramatic? I’m not sure about it.
Now we have been speaking of music in its more common meaning—the kind of music we hear in the concert hall.We discover them in our everyday life too—in the rhythm of the sea，the melody of a bird in the woods and so on.So music surely has meaning for everyone，in some way or other.  And，of course，it has special meaning for those who have spent all their lives working on playing or writing music.
It is well said，“Through music a child enters a world of beauty，expresses himself from his heart，feels the joy of doing things alone，learns to take care of others，develops his mind and makes his body strong.”
【小題1】From the text, we learn that many people       .

A．don’t realize the importance of music

B．get along quite well without music

C．go to the concert instead of enjoying music

D．think music would be less exciting than moving plot

【小題2】In the writer’s opinion，if there was no music in the films or TV plays，_______.

A．the cinema and theatre would be quiet

B．we would lose some of the audience

C．everything would be as exciting as before

D．it would be hard to imagine the result

【小題3】The underlined word “melody” in the second paragraph means “______”.

A．flying

B．looking

C．singing

D．living

The world’s native languages are dying out at an unprecedented(空前的) rate, taking with them irreplaceable(不能替代的) knowledge about the natural world, according to a new study.
The study identified five global “hot spots” where languages are vanishing faster than anywhere else ---- eastern Siberia, northern Australia, central South America, the US state of Oklahoma and the US Pacific Northwest. “Languages are suffering a global extinction crisis that greatly goes beyond the pace of species extinction,” linguistics(語言學的) professor David Harrison noted, who said half of the world’s 7,000 languages were expected to disappear before the end of the century.
Native people had an intimate(詳盡的) knowledge of their environment that was lost when their language disappeared, along with other certain things often unfamiliar to us, Harrison stressed. “Most of what we know about species and ecosystems is not written down anywhere, it’s only in people’s heads,” he said. “We are seeing in front of our eyes the loss of the human knowledge base.”
Harrison was one of a team of linguists who carried out the study. The researchers traveled to Australia this year to study native languages, some of the most endangered. According to Harrison, in Australia, they were heartened to see a woman in her 80s who was one of the only three remaining speakers of the Yawuru language passing on her knowledge to schoolchildren. He said such inter-generational exchanges were the only way native languages could survive. “The children had elected to take this course, no one forced them,” he said. “When we asked them why they were learning it, they said,‘This is a dying language, we need to learn it’.” Also, while there they found a man with knowledge of the  Amurdag  language, which had previously been thought extinct.
The researchers said all five of the hot spots identified were areas that had been successfully colonized and where a dominant language such as Spanish or English was threatening native tongues.
【小題1】What does this text mainly talk about?

A．A study on native languages endangered.

B．The knowledge of native languages.

C．People’s efforts in saving native languages.

D．Harrison and his study on languages.

【小題2】The underlined word“vanishing”in the second paragraph can be best replaced by        .

A．developing

B．changing

C．increasing

D．Disappearing

【小題3】According to Harrison, language extinction        .

A．causes the researchers lots of worries

B．speeds up the pace of species extinction

C．threatens the existing of Spanish and English

D．brings about a loss of knowledge about the environment

【小題4】Which of the following can be described as good news?

A．Native languages became less endangered in Australia.

B．A man was found with knowledge of the Amurdag language.

C．Researchers were well received by native people in Australia.

D．Many schoolchildren showed interest in the Yawuru language.

I was brought up in the British, stiff upper lip style. Strong feelings aren’t something you display in public. So, you can imagine that I was unprepared for the outpouring of public grief(悲傷) at a Chinese funeral.
My editorial team leader died recently after a short illness. He was 31. The news was so unexpected that it left us all shocked and upset. A female colleague burst into tears and cried piteously at her desk. Somehow we got through the day's work. The next day was the funeral.
Our big boss stepped forward to deliver a eulogy(悼詞) and was soon in tears. She carried on, in Chinese of course, but at the end said in English: "There will be no more deadlines for you in heaven." Next came a long-term colleague who also dissolved in tears but carried on with her speech despite being almost overcome by emotion. Then a close friend of the dead man paid tribute(哀悼), weeping openly as he spoke. Sorrow is spreading. Me and women were now sobbing uncontrollably. Finally, the man's mother, supported between two women, addressed her son in his coffin. At one point, the mother almost collapsed and had to be held up. We were invited to step forward to each lay a white rose on the casket. Our dead colleague looked as if he was taking a nap. At the end of the service I walked away from the funeral parlor stunned at the outpouring of emotion.
In the UK, families grieve privately and then try to hold it together and not break down at a funeral. Here in China it would seem that grieving is a public affair. It strikes me that it is more cathartic to cry your eyes out than try to keep it bottled up for fear of embarrassment, which is what many of us do in the West.
Afterwards, a Chinese colleague told me that the lamenting at the funeral had been restrained(克制) by Chinese standards. In some rural areas, she said, people used to be paid to mourn noisily. This struck me like something out of novel by Charles Dickens. But we have all seen on TV scenes of grief-stricken people in Gaza and the West Bank, in Afghanistan, Iraq and the relatives of victims of terrorist bombings around the world. Chinese grief is no different. I realized that it's the reserved British way of mourning that is out of step with the rest of the world.
It was our newspaper's production day. We were bussed back to the office to resume work. No more deadlines for our former colleague, but we had to pull together to put the newspaper to print. The boss invited the team to go out for dinner after work. We relaxed, smiled, joked. There was no mention of the funeral or our poor colleague. Enough sorrow had been shed already. We needed a break.
【小題1】The underlined words “stiff upper lip style” in Paragraph 1 mean “________”.

A．cold-blooded

B．warm-hearted

C．light-hearted

D．self-controlled

【小題2】At the funeral, ________.      

A．five individuals made speeches

B．the boss’s speech was best thought of

C．the writer was astonished by the scene

D．everyone was crying out loudly

【小題3】According to the writer, people in the West ________.     

A．a(chǎn)re not willing to be sad for the dead

B．cry their eyes out at the public funeral

C．prefer to control their sadness in public

D．have better way to express sadness

【小題4】It is implied that ________.  

A．Chinese express their sadness quite unlike other peoples

B．the English might cry noisily for the dead in Dickens’ time

C．victims of terrorist bombings should be greatly honored

D．English funeral culture is more civilized than the others

【小題5】This passage talks mainly about________.       

A．a(chǎn)n editor’s death	B．bad funeral customs
C．cultural differences	D．western ways of grief

Bedazzling (眼花繚亂) with their bright colors and eye-catching displays, fireworks light up our night skies during the holidays. However, these crowd-pleasers can have some damaging side effects.
Once a firework is set off, it only takes a couple of seconds before smoke, dust and harmful chemicals are let out into the atmosphere. The loud booming noises are caused by gunpowder. While the sounds may excite some people, they can be frightening to domestic and wild animals—as well as some humans.
The pretty colors you see are a result of more chemicals. Barium, added to make green, is known for its poisonous and radioactive qualities. Blue comes from copper compounds. Cadmium, lithium and lead—all found in fireworks—have been linked to diseases, such as allergies and skin rashes in both humans and animals. Acid rain has been linked to gases given off by fireworks, which sometimes go beyond the toxin(毒素) limits of the United States Clean Air Act.
Once all those chemicals come back down to the ground, they can cause problems too. Debris (碎片) from the fireworks falls to the ground, where animals can burn their paws or noses on piping hot pieces. Humans also are at risk of stepping on or picking up something sharp or hot. Meanwhile, debris that finds its way into waterways can damage animal habitats and water supply sources.                              
Instead of setting off fireworks, try to come up with some new ways for fun. Here are some ideas to get you started:
? Sky lanterns—a tradition that originated long ago in the most-populated Asian country.
? Party crackers—a favorite in the United Kingdom—give you noise and surprises without the mess of fireworks. You can make your own or buy eco-friendly crackers.
? Want noise excitement with less volume? Consider a fireworks sound recording beforehand or break out the party horns (號角) and blow up a storm! 
【小題1】The advantages of fireworks can be seen below EXCEPT that _____.

A．the special sounds of fireworks excite people

B．debris from fireworks can even find its way into water

C．the pretty and bright colors add to the beauty of night skies

D．fireworks are enjoyed as one of the crowd-pleasers

【小題2】 Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Copper compounds are needed to make green in fireworks.

B．Chemicals in fireworks are both poisonous and dangerous.

C．Too much gases from fireworks can result in acid rain.

D．Chemicals in fireworks are harmful in the air and on the ground.

【小題3】 All the italicized (斜體的) words are probably ____.

A．mineral materials

B．tiny solids

C．chemical elements

D．broken pieces

【小題4】 What is implied from the passage?

A．Gunpowder in fireworks makes loud booming noises.

B．It must be Indians who first started to hang sky lanterns.

C．Fireworks does less harm in the air than on the ground.

D．Fireworks can even break the balance of nature.

【小題5】 What can be concluded as the writer’s attitude towards fireworks?

A．It is not allowed to set off fireworks except during the holidays.

B．Fireworks should be banned and replaced by some other means.

C．Night is the best time to set off fireworks and see the pretty colors.

D．You cannot set off fireworks unless you come up with new ways.

Michael J. “Crocodile Dundee” (also called Mick), played by Paul Hogan, is the main character in the fictional Crocodile Dundee film series consisting of Crocodile Dundee, Crocodile Dundee II, and Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles. The character is a crocodile hunter, hence the nickname.
In the first film, Crocodile Dundee, Mick is visited by a New York reporter, Sue Charlton, who travels to Australia to investigate a report she heard of a crocodile hunter, who had his leg bitten off by a crocodile in the outback. The hunter supposedly walked more than a hundred miles back to civilization and miraculously survived his injuries. However, by the time she meets him, the story turns out to be a somewhat exaggerated legend where the “bitten-off leg” turns out to be just being some bad scarring on his leg; a “l(fā)ove bite” as Mick calls it. Still intrigued by the idea of “Crocodile Dundee”, Sue continues with the story. They travel together out to where the incident occurred, and follow his route through the bush to the nearest hospital. Despite his old-fashioned views, the pair eventually become close, especially after Mick saves Sue from a crocodile attack.
Feeling there is still more to the story, Sue invites Mick back to New York with her, as his first trip to a city (or “first trip anywhere,” as Dundee says). The rest of the film depicts Dundee as a “fish out of water,” showing how, despite his expert knowledge of living outdoors, he knows little of city life. Mick meets Sue’s boyfriend, Richard, but they do not get along. By the end of the film, Mick is on his way home, lovesick, when Sue realizes she loves Mick, too, and not Richard. She runs to the subway station to stop Mick from leaving and, by passing on messages through the packed-to-the-gills crowd, she tells him she won’t marry Richard, and she loves him instead. With the help of the other people in the subway, Mick and Sue have a loving reunion as the film ends.
【小題1】Which of the following statements is true about Mick?

A．He is a crocodile hunter living in Los Angeles.

B．He is based on a real person in Australia.

C．He got his nickname because of his job.

D．He wrote a film series about himself.

【小題2】In the film Crocodile Dundee, Mick ________.

A．pretends he was bitten by a crocodile

B．urges Sue Charlton to write his life story

C．hasn’t been abroad before his trip to America

D．shows Sue Charlton around the town he lives in

【小題3】 The underlined word “intrigued” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ________.

A．a(chǎn)nnoyed

B．interested

C．troubled

D．surprised

【小題4】When in New York, Mick ________.

A．makes friends with Richard

B．makes full use of his bush skills

C．feels excited about living in a big city

D．doesn’t know how to fit into city life

【小題5】The film Crocodile Dundee can be best described as ________.

A．a(chǎn) romantic story	B．a(chǎn)n action movie
C．a(chǎn) science fiction	D．a(chǎn) frightening story

Few Americans remain in one position or one place for a lifetime. We move from town to city to suburb, from high school to college in a different state, from a job in one region to a better job elsewhere, from the home where we raise our children to the home where we plan to live in retirement. With each move we are forever making new friends, who become part of our new life at that time.
For many of us summer is a special time for forming new friendships. Today millions of Americans vacation abroad, and they go not only to see new sights but also with the hope of meeting new people. No one really expects a vacation trip to produce a close friend, but the beginning of a friendship is possible.
The word “friend ” can be applied to a wide range of relationships ---- to someone one has known for a few weeks in a new place, to a fellow worker, to a childhood playmate, to a man or woman, to a trusted confidant.
【小題1】Many Americans move from place to place for the following reasons except______.

A．going to college	B．getting a better job
C．finding a place to live in retirement	D．saving money

【小題2】Summer is a special time when many Americans_____.

A．enjoy the sunlight

B．feel strange

C．travel to other countries

D．get a new job

【小題3】When summer comes, many Americans _________.

A．hope to meet new people

B．expect to find some close friends

C．want to begin lasting friendships with new people

D．Both A and B

【小題4】From the passage it can be seen that a “friend” can be ______.

A．a(chǎn) fellow worker

B．a(chǎn) football teammate

C．a(chǎn) boy or a girl

D．a(chǎn)ll of the above

【小題5】Which of the following is the topic sentence of the second paragraph?

A．For many of us summer is a special time for forming new friendships.

B．Today millions of Americans vacation abroad.

C．No one really expects a vacation trip to produce a close friendship.

D．But surely the beginning of friendship is possible.

The most important holiday in spring， especially for Christians （基督徒）， is Easter. This Christian holiday is not on the same date every year， but it‘s always on a Sunday. It can be any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Many people celebrate Easter by buying new clothes. Children celebrate by hunting for colored eggs that their parents have hidden around the house. People also give Easter baskets filled with candy and other goodies to one another to celebrate the day.
But the holiday is more than new clothes and good things to eat. On Easter， many people go to church to celebrate Jesus‘ resurrection （復(fù)活） from the dead.
Most people color them. Some people hide them. Others just eat them. But no matter what one does with Easter eggs， they are an important Easter tradition throughout the Western world.
People from many different cultures celebrate Easter. In both America and Belgium， children look for Easter eggs hidden on lawns and in bushes. In America， children believe the eggs are hidden by the Easter bunny （復(fù)活節(jié)兔子）。 But in Belgium， the hidden eggs are supposed to have fallen from church bells. In Bulgaria， red Easter eggs are lucky in churches； Bulgarian families also hit these Easter eggs together to see whose is the strongest. The winner looks forward to good fortune that year. Still dozens of other Easter traditions exist. In parts of Austria， for example， children sing from door to door and are rewarded with colorful eggs.
【小題1】Easter comes _______.

A．on Sunday on April 25

B．on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25

C．on the same date every year

D．on Sunday on March 22

【小題2】To celebrate Easter， people ___________.

A．go shopping， hide colored eggs and children hunt for them

B．give Easter baskets filled candy and goodies to one another

C．buy new clothes， hide colored eggs and children look for them around the house

D．both B and C

【小題3】For Christians the more important thing to do on Easter is________.

A．going to church to celebrate Jesus‘ resurrection

B．buying new clothes

C．eating delicious food and paint color eggs

D．exchange beautiful gifts each other

【小題4】People from different cultures have different ideas about Easter egg， _________.

A．In both American and Belgium， children hunt for Easter eggs hidden in rooms and in bushes

B．In Belgium， the hidden eggs are thought to have fallen from doorbells

C．In America， the hidden eggs are supposed to have fallen from doorbells

D．In American， children believe the eggs are hidden by the Easter bunny

【小題5】In some places of Austria，children sing from door to door for_______.

A．Easter bunny	B．Blesses
C．candy and goodie	D．Easter eggs