This August, we'll welcome guests from all over the world. Some of them follow their own special culture
traditions. It's important for us to know about them.
      * Some westerners may be offended if you touch them or their personal things — even by accident. If this
happens, say sorry politely.
      * Some elderly westerners may be offended if you try to help them without their agreement.
      * People think numbers can be lucky or unlucky. Some westerners avoid the number 13 because they
believe it is unlucky.
      * Muslims (穆斯林) do not eat pork, and words like pigs are not considered proper.
      * People from Brazil, Italy and Pakistan don't give handkerchiefs (手帕) as gifts. They believe a
handkerchief is closely connected with unhappy feelings.
      * Wine is not sent as a gift in many parts of western and middle Asia, where most Muslims live.

1. Indians don't have food with the left hand because they consider it _______.

A. unclean
B. useless
C. valueless
D. unimportant

2. The word "offend" in the second paragraph (段落) might mean "_______".

A. honor
B. help
C. hate
D. hurt

3. Muslims do not _______.

A. send gifts
B. eat pork
C. drink milk
D. use handkerchiefs

4. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. People from Pakistan like to send handkerchiefs as gifts
B. All the elderly people in the west like being helped by others
C. The mummer 13 is thought to be unlucky by some westerners.
D. Westerners do not mind their personal things being touched

5. What does the passage mainly talk about ________.

A. Lucky numbers
B. Traditional food
C. Culture differences
D. Hands and handkerchiefs

    Each year, we celebrate many holidays here in America.
    On January 1, we welcome the coming of a new year like many people in other countries. And we
have another, four holidays on the first day of a month: April Fool's Day, May Day, Friendship Day
( Aug.1 ) and Grandparents Day ( Sept.1). The most important holiday for the youngpeople comes in
February. It is Valentine's Day. Lots of boys give red roses to girls as a present.
    People celebrate some holidays for their family members. We say thanks to our mothers in May and
celebrate Father's Day in the following month. In November many people return home for Thanksgiving
Day, so the whole family can stay together.
    There are also some interesting holidays for children.For example, Halloween comes at the end of
October. Children often play with pumpkin lanterns (南瓜燈) and put on all kinds of masks (面具).
    Of course, the most important festival is Christmas. After a year of work and study, people can enjoy
a long holiday, eat big meals, and visit family and friends.

1.How many holidays are there on the first day of a month in America?

A.Four.
B.Five.
C. Seven.
D.Ten.

2.What is the most important holiday for the young people in America?

A.Thanksgiving Day.
B.Christmas Day.
C.Valentine' s Day.
D.New Year's Day.

3.From the reading we know that Father's Day comes ______.

A.in May
B.in April
C.in June
D.in July

4.Halloween is one of the interesting holidays for ______.

A.children
B.mothers
C.girls
D.students

5.Many people return home in November because they want to ______.

A.enjoy a long holiday
B.visit their friends
C.eat big meals
D.spend Thanksgiving Day

    When we think of Hollywood, we think of movies and famous movie stars. They are part of Hollywood's
history. Today people make movies in other places too. Not all famous movie stars live in Hollywood. But
Hollywood is still a very special city in Los Angeles, California.
    You can easily see where Hollywood is in Los Angeles. There is a big sign on the hills. It says
"HOLLYWOOD". The white letters are fifty feet tall. You can see the sign from far away. The Hollywood
sign is a famous landmark in Los Angeles. Many postcards show this famous Hollywood landmark.
    In the hills of Hollywood, there is also the Hollywood Bowl. This is an open-air theatre. It is one of the
largest open-air theatres in the world. It has seventeen thousand seats and a very special stage. The stage
was designed by the great American architect (建筑師) Frank Lloyd Wright. You can listen to all kinds of
concerts at the Hollywood Bowl.

1. Today Hollywood is ______.

A. a special city in Los Angeles
B. a place where all the movie stars live
C. a place where they make all the movies
D. the biggest city in California

2. You can see where Hollywood is in Los Angeles because ______.

A. it is a hill
B. postcards show you
C. there is a big sign on the hills
D. local people will tell you

3. The Hollywood Bowl is ______.

A. a place where you see movies
B. one of the largest open-air theatres in the world
C. a hill in Hollywood
D. a big sign in Los Angeles

4. Which is not mentioned about the Hollywood Bowl?

A. Seats.
B. Size.
C. Stage.
D. Designer.

5. What special things can we see in Hollywood?

A. The Hollywood hills.
B. The Hollywood landmark.
C. The Hollywood Bowl.
D. Both B and C.

      On Christmas Eve─the night before Christmas Day─children all over Britain put a stocking at the end of
their beds before they go to sleep. Their parents usually tell them that Father Christmas will come during the
night.
      Father Christmas is very kind and hearted. He gets to the top of each house and climbs down the chimney
into the fireplace. He fills each of the stockings with Christmas presents. 
      Of course, Father Christmas isn't real. In Jim and Kate's house, "Father Christmas" is really Mr Green. Mr
Green doesn't climb down the chimney. He waits until the children are asleep. Then he quietly goes into their
bedrooms and fills their stockings with small presents. When they were very young, Mr Green sometimes
wore a red coat. But he doesn't do that now. The children are no longer young, and they know who "Father
Christmas" really is. But they still put their stockings at the end of their beds.

1. Christmas Eve is _______.

A. the night of Christmas Day
B. the evening of Christmas Day
C. Christmas Day
D. the night before Christmas Day

2. Father Christmas often puts presents ________.

A. into children's hats
B. into children's stockings
C. under children's beds
D. into children's shoes

3. When the children were very young, _______.

A. they didn't know who Father Christmas was
B. they knew that Father Christmas wasn't real
C. they thought their father was Father Christmas
D. they knew who put the presents into their stockings

4. When the children are older, they ________.

A. know that Father Christmas is real
B. ask their mother to fill their stockings with presents
C. know that Father Christmas is really their father
D. know that Father Christmas is really their friend

5. Father Christmas comes into the house through the ________.

A. chimney
B. back door
C. front door
D. window.

     In your schoolbag most of the things may be a pencil, some kinds of pens, a ruler and some books. These
things don't grow in the fields. They were all made in factories and invented by someone. Thousands of years
ago no one knew about these things.
     Who invented them? We don't always know. There have been many large and small inventions. In human
history, some of these inventors have been forgotten by humans. Who invented the clock, or the lock on the
door? We don't know. There have been thousands of inventions and we should thank the inventors for their
clever ideas. Will you be one of them when you grow up?
(     ) 1. Most of the things in your schoolbag are grown in the fields.
(     ) 2. People didn't have such things as pens or rulers thousands of years ago.
(     ) 3. We know who invented all these things.
(     ) 4. In human history, many of these inventors have been forgotten by humans.
(     ) 5. We don't know who invented the lock on the door.

    How men first learnt to invent words is unknown; in other words, the origin (起源) of language is a
mystery. All we have really known is that men, unlike animals, somehow invented certain sounds to express
thoughts and feelings, actions, and the things, so that they would communicate with each other; and that
later they agree upon certain signs, called letters, which could be combined (結合) to represent those sounds,
and which could be written down. These sounds, whether spoken or written in letters, are called words. The
power of words, then, lies in their associations (交際)-the things they bring up before our minds. Words
become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words recall to us
the glad and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean
something to us increases. Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these
thoughts in words which appeal (具有感染力) powerfully to our minds and emotions (情感). This charming
and telling use of words is what we call literary (文字) style. Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He
can convey (轉達) his meaning in words which sing like music, and which by their position and association
can move men to tears. We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them correctly, or
they will make our speech silly and vulgar (粗俗的).

1. According to the writer of the passage, ______.

A. men, as well as animals, invented certain sounds to express thoughts
B. the origin of language is a difficult question
C. words did not have written form at first
D. words came from sounds

2. In order not to make our speech silly and vulgar, we should ______.

A. use words that can move men to tears
B. choose words with care and accuracy (正確)
C. become a master of words
D. use words which sing like music

3. The best title for this passage would be ______.

A. The Meaning of Words
B. The Nature of Words
C. The Invention of Words
D. The Power of Words

    Baseball is America's national sport. So it is not unusual that many popular expressions come from
baseball. But first, let me explain a little about the game.
    Each baseball team has nine players. The pitcher of one team throws the ball to a batter from the
other team. The batter attempts to hit the ball. If he misses, it is called a strike. If a batter gets three
strikes, he loses his turn at bat and is called out. The batter also is out if he hits the ball in the air and
an opposing player catches it. But if the batter hits the ball and it is not caught, the batter tries to run
to one or more of the four bases on the field. The batter can run to all four bases if he hits the ball
over the fence or out of the ballpark. Such a hit is called a homerun.
    Now, here are some common expressions from baseball. Someone who is "in the ball" is intelligent
and able to do a good job. But a person who "threw a curve ball" did something unexpected. Someone
who "steps up to the plate" is ready to do his or her job. A "pinch hitter" takes the place of someone
else at a job or activity.
    Sometimes I have to give information quickly, without time to think it over. Then I would say
something "right off the bat." If someone is doing an extremely good job and is very successful, you
might say he or she is"batting one thousand."
    If I say I want to "touch base" with you, I will talk to you from time to time about something we
plan to do. I might say I"touched all the bases" if I did what is necessary to complete a job or activity.
And if I "covered my bases" I was well prepared. However, someone who is "way off base" did
something wrong or maybe even dishonest or immoral. A person with strange ideas might be described
as "out in left field." Finally, when a situation changes completely, we say "that is a whole new ballgame."

1. The writer's purpose is ____.

A. to explain the rules of a sport game-baseball
B. to tell you more about America's national sports
C. to introduce some useful expressions from baseball
D. to show the connection between expressions and sports

2. The underlined sentence "The batter also is out" means ____.

A. the batter will run to one of the four bases
B. the batter will not continue the game
C. the match will be over immediately
D. the batter will change his position

3. Which of the following expressions means that someone is able to do a good job?

A. to be on the ball
B. to step up the plate
C. to throw a curve ball
D. to touch all the bases