Most tourist destinations around China are witnessing travel peaks during the eight-day Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays that run through Sunday. In Beijing, the Palace Museum, or the Forbidden City, attracted 182, 000 tourists on Tuesday, the biggest number on a single day, as millions of visitors arrived in the national capital. “We saw absolutely nothing but people’s heads,’’ said Guo Zhijun, 42, of Henan province. “We wanted our 11-year-old son to learn something from the trip, but we only ended up very tired. ”
Earlier, from Sunday noon to midday Monday, garbage collected at Tian’anmen Square in the heart of the city amounted to 7.9 tons, a quarter more than that in the same period of last year.
In the eastern coastal city of Qingdao, its top five major tourist sites attracted more than 200, 000 visitors on Tuesday.
Yesterday, thousands of cars jammed two 20-kilometer mountain roads winding to and out of the Lushan Mountain scenic area in the eastern province of Jiangxi. The area, with about 3, 000 car parking spaces, was unable to contain at least 8, 000 inbound cars, said head of the Lushan Mountain public security bureau.
The Lushan Mountain tourism administration temporarily stopped selling entrance tickets to prevent the traffic from growing on Tuesday afternoon. Similar measures could be taken during the rest of the holidays, a police officer said.
Emergency measures have been taken at other scenic sites. Crowded visitors overwhelmed the capacity（承載量）of the cable cars at Huashan Mountain, in Shaanxi province, leaving tens of thousands stuck at the peak late into Tuesday night. According to China Central Television, restless visitors demanded refunds from the tourism committee, and a lot of visitors had to give up and walk down the mountain.
Chen Li, deputy director of the Shaanxi Provincial Public Security Department, said on his micro blog that more than 300 policemen and government officials climbed up the mountain to help trapped visitors. Fearing that tourist sites might become too crowded, many people are staying at home, going shopping or making short suburban trips. A resident Mr. Wang in Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi, canceled long-distance travel plans after learning of heavy traffic on many highways during the first two days of the holidays. Instead, Wang, his wife and son went fishing in the suburbs before having a picnic.
小題1:What happened in the Forbidden City that Tuesday?

A．There were far more visitors coming than expected.

B．A large number of zones were opened to the visitors.

C．Over 7.9 tons of garbage was collected.

D．More than 200, 000 visitors gathered there.

小題2:What does the underlined word “overwhelmed” mean in paragraph 6?

A．showed up

B．a(chǎn)dded to

C．reached beyond

D．filled in

小題3:The writer wrote this article to________________.

A．a(chǎn)dvise traveling to different places to learn something

B．warn people not to climb those mountains on holidays

C．encourage people to change the travel plans according to the traffic

D．suggest we stay at home or go shopping during those holidays

小題4:Which of the following might be the best title?

A．Experiences from Different Travel Plans

B．Travel Peaks in China's Tourist Sites

C．Floods of People to the Forbidden City

D．Problems with Travelling on Holiday

Thousands of people living in the Chinese capital will celebrate the start of the Chinese New year by heading for the ski resorts (滑雪場). Never mind that Beijing’s dry weather seldom produces snow. It is cold enough in winter for snow-making machines to make a covering for the hills north to the capital. And the rapid growth of a pleasure-seeking middle class has formed the basis for this new craze(熱潮).     
Since Beijing’s first ski resort was opened ten years ago, the sport has enjoyed astonishing increase. There are now more than a dozen resorts. Clothes markets in the city have added bright colored ski suits to their winter collections. Mr. Wei, a manager of a newly-opened ski resort in Beijing, sees the growth of an industry that could soon lead Chinese to head for the ski resorts of Europe. In recent years, ski resorts offering natural snow have opened in China. But many are in faraway areas of the country and can’t really match the equipment and services of some ski resorts in Europe.
Beijing’s skiing craze is partly a result of the recent increase in private (私有的) cars. This has led to the growth of a leisure industry in the capital’s suburbs (郊區(qū)), which until the late-1990s were unreachable to ordinary people. According to Mr. Wei, about 40% of the visitors to his resort come in their own cars. The rest are bused in by schools, businesses or government offices.  
The problem is making money. Starting ski resorts requires quite a lot of money; hiring land from the local government, preparing the hills, buying snow machines, making sure there are enough water and electricity to run them, and buying ski equipment for hiring out to customers.
The ski resort where Mr. Wei works cost nearly $4 million to set up. And as so often in China when someone comes up with a good idea, many others rush in and price wars break out. Beijing now offers some of the cheapest ski training classes in the world, though with most people rather new to the sport, expecting a few more doing the same job.
小題1:What does this text mainly talk about?

A．Convenience for skiers brought about by private cars.

B．Skiing as a new way of enjoying one's spare time.

C．Things to be considered when starting a ski resort.

D．A sudden increase of ski training classes in Beijing.

小題2:Why are some Chinese likely to go skiing in Europe?

A．To visit more ski areas.

B．To ski on natural snow.

C．For a large collection of ski suits.

D．For better services and equipment.

小題3:The underlined words “l(fā)eisure industry” in Paragraph 3 refer to         

A．transport to ski resorts

B．production of family cars

C．business of providing spare time enjoyments

D．part-time work for people living in the suburbs

小題4:What is the main problem in running a ski resort?

A．Difficulty in hiring land．

B．Lack of business experience．

C．Price wars with other ski resorts

D．Shortage of water and electricity.

The Cambodian government says more than 378 people died and hundreds more were injured in a stampede (踩踏) during the celebrations of the annual Water Festival late Monday in Phnom Penh.
Less than 24 hours after the tragedy(悲劇), Cambodia's most serious loss of life in decades(十年), the government founded an organization to investigate(調(diào)查) how so many died on what was meant to be one of the nation's most joyous occasions.
Most of the victims(犧牲品) were young people in their teens and twenties. They were some of the estimated(估計(jì)) two million who had flooded to Phnom Penh for the Water Festival, which marks the end of the rainy season.
Most suffocated on the bridge, which thousands of people were using to leave Diamond Island, an entertainment(娛樂) area in the middle of the river. Others drowned(溺水) after jumping from the bridge into the water.
Buot Panha, 19, said shortly after 9:30 on Monday evening he ended up trapped(圍困) with his friends in the middle of the bridge, fighting to breathe while terrified people struggled all around him.
Being tall saved his life, since he could stretch(伸出) his neck to take in oxygen(氧氣). Shorter people were unable to do that, he says, which may be why two-thirds of the victims were women.
He tried to help a woman who was trapped with two children near him. She was screaming for people to help. Being tall, Buot Panha grabbed(抓住) one child and pushed him above the crowd to help him breathe.
But then some of the young men were told to jump off the bridge into the river to make room. So he handed back the child, squirmed his way to the edge, and jumped.
Some like Buot Panha were fortunate, jumping into the river below and swimming for the shore. But many simply could not move, and died where they lay.
Buot Panha says his first Water Festival will be his last. He vows(發(fā)誓) never to come back.
小題1:The passage is mainly about ________.

A．Water Festival celebrations	B．a(chǎn) stampede in Cambodia
C．a(chǎn) teenager, Buot Panha	D．a(chǎn) woman and her children

小題2:What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?

A．It is the biggest tragedy in decades in Cambodia.

B．It is the most serious loss of life in decades in Cambodia.

C．The government ordered an investigation.

D．Water Festival is Cambodia’s most joyous occasion.

小題3:The underlined word “suffocated” (in Paragraph 4) probably means ________.

A．breathed in	B．felt uncomfortable
C．died from too little oxygen	D．left in a hurry

小題4:Most of the deaths were caused as a result of _________.

A．being unable to breathe	B．being drowned
C．violence	D．the rainy season

小題5:Which of the following is TRUE about Buot Panha according to the passage?

A．His being tall saved him in the river.

B．He struggled through the crowd to save one child.

C．It was his first time to attend the Water Festival alone.

D．He will never come back to Phnom Penh for the Water Festival.

Over the past few months, PSY’s funny video for “Gangnam Style” has become a YouTube sensation, resulting in over 112,000,000 views since July 15. It’s also been Tweeted more than 780,000 times and received over 260, 000 likes on Facebook, reports Mashable.com.
With the rapper(說唱歌手) making an appearance at Thursday’s MTV Video Music Awards, here’s what you need to know about the break-out artist.
His real name is Park Jae-Sang. The 35-year-old Korean pop rapper is known for his comedic music videos and performances. The video for “Gangnam Style” is no exception. When his first album PSY—From the Psycho World! was released in 2001, he was nicknamed “PSY” because of his unusual dress, special lyrics(歌詞) and funny dance movies.
Gangnam is a wealthy neighborhood in Seoul(首爾). Gangnam may only be 15 square miles, but the district in Seoul, South Korea, is home to the headquarters of some of the country’s most influential companies, including Samsung, Hyundai and LG. The region also makes up 7% of South Korea’s GDP. 41% of students at Seoul University, a very famous college, come from Gangnam. The lyrics of PSY’s song describe the personality of a girl and a guy.
He studied in the U.S. Born in South Korea on December 31, 1977, PSY attended Banpo Elementary School, Banpo Middle School and Eva High Sch ool. But when it came time to achieve a college degree, the rapper attended both Boston University and Berklee College of Music in the U.S.
“Gangnam Style” is giving K-pop international fame. “Gangnam Style” is currently No.1 on the iTunes music video chart. The video has surpassed Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”; Justin Bieber’s “As Long As You Love Me”; and Katy Perry’s “Wide Awake”. This is the first time a Korean artist has ranked this high on iTunes.
小題1:What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A．The success of “Gangnam Style”.

B．The origin of “Gangnam Style”.

C．The result of the Music Award.

D．The childhood of PSY.

小題2:According to the text, PSY              .

A．is already in his forties now

B．made his first album in 2003

C．danced only in his “Gangnam Style”

D．has developed his special comedic style

小題3:Which of the following about Gangnam is TRUE?

A．It is the capital of South Korea.

B．It is rich and better developed.

C．Seoul University lies in it.

D．It covers about 90 square miles.

小題4:What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．“Gangnarn Style” isn’t popular in English-speaking countries.

B．PSY will be given another big prize for music in the future.

C．iTunes is the No.1 music company on the internet.

D．“Gangnam Style” has won the most worldwide popularity.

BEIJING—Eating at a Beijing restaurant is usually an adventure for foreigners, and particularly when they get the chance to order “chicken without sex life” or “red burned lion head”.
Sometimes excited but mostly confused, embarrassed or even terrified, many foreigners have long complained about mistranslations of Chinese dishes. And their complaints are often valid(有效), but such an experience at Beijing’s restaurants will apparently soon be history.
Foreign visitors will no longer, hopefully, be confused by oddly worded restaurant menus in the capital if the government’s plan to correctly translate 3,000 Chinese dishes is a success and the translations are generally adopted.
The municipal(市政) office of foreign affairs has published a book to recommend English translations of Chinese dishes, which aims to help restaurants avoid bizarre translations. “It provides the names of main dishes of famous Chinese cuisines in plain English,” an official with the city’s Foreign Affairs office said. “Restaurants are encouraged to use the proposed translations, but it will not be compulsory.” It’s the city’s latest effort to bridge the culture gap for foreign travelers in China.
Coming up with precise translations is a daunting task, as some Chinese culinary(烹飪) techniques are untranslatable and many Chinese dishes have no English-language equivalent. The translators, after conducting a study of Chinese restaurants in English-speaking countries, divided the dish names into four categories: ingredients, cooking method, taste and name of a person or a place. For some traditional dishes, pinyin, the Chinese phonetic system, is used, such as mapo tofu(previously often literally translated as “beancurd made by woman with freckles”), baozi(steamed stuffed bun) and jiaozi(dumplings) to “reflect the Chinese cuisine culture,” according to the book.
“The book is a blessing to tourist guides like me. Having it, I don’t have to rack my brains trying to explain Chinese dishes to foreign travellers,” said Zheng Xiaodong, a 31-year-old employee with a Beijing-based travel agency.
“I will buy the book as I major in English literature and I’d like to introduce Chinese cuisine culture to more foreign friends,” said Han Yang, a postgraduate student at the University of International Business and Economics.
It is not clear if the book will be introduced to other parts of China. But on Tuesday, this was the most discussed topic on weibo.com, China’s most popular microblogging site.
小題1:What’s the best title of the passage?

A．An adventure for foreigners who eat in Beijing.

B．Confusing mistranslations of Chinese dishes.

C．Chinese dishes to have “official” English names.

D．The effort to bridge the culture gap.

小題2: “chicken without sex life” or “red burned lion head” are mentioned in the beginning of the passage to show              .

A．some Chinese dishes are not well received

B．some Chinese dishes are hard to translate

C．some Chinese dishes are mistranslated

D．some Chinese dishes are not acceptable

小題3:What measure has the municipal office taken?

A．Recommending a book on Chinese dishes.

B．Advocating(提倡) using precise translation for Chinese dishes.

C．Publishing a book on China’s dietary habits.

D．Providing the names of main Chinese dishes.

小題4:What’s the meaning of daunting in paragraph 5?

A．confusing

B．disappointing

C．discouraging

D．Worthwhile

It is reported that six Chinese ships have entered waters near islands claimed by both China and Japan. China said the ships were carrying out “l(fā)aw enforcement” to demonstrate its jurisdiction(管轄權(quán)) over the islands, known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan. At least two of the ships left after the Japanese coast guard issued a warning, Japanese officials say.
The action came after Japan sealed a deal to buy three of the islands from their private Japanese owner. Japan controls the uninhabited but resource-rich East China Sea islands, which are also claimed by Taiwan.
The Japanese Coast Guard said the first two Chinese boats entered Japan’s territorial waters at 06:18 local time, followed by another fleet of four other ships just after 07:00. The first two ships then left the area. A third ship left later on Friday morning, one report said. No force was used, Japanese officials added. “Our patrol(巡邏) ships are currently telling them to leave our country’s territorial waters,” the coastguard said in a statement.
The Chinese foreign ministry confirmed that its ships were there. “These law enforcement and patrol activities are aimed to demonstrate China’s jurisdiction over the Diaoyu Islands and ensure the country’s maritime interests,” a statement said.
The US has called for “cooler heads to be accepted” as tension worsens between China and Japan over the islands. US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is going to visit both Japan and China from this weekend as part of a tour of the region.
The dispute(爭端) has seriously damaged diplomatic relations between China and Japan and threatens to damage the strong trading relationship, says the BBC’s John Sudworth in Beijing. The dispute has also caused strong nationalist emotions on both sides that makes it very difficult to be seen to be backing down, says our reporter.
The Japanese government says it is buying the islands to promote their stable and peaceful management. China on the other hand, says the islands have historically been its territory and fishing grounds. Meanwhile Japan’s newly-appointed ambassador to China, Shinichi Nishimiya, remains in hospital in Tokyo. He was appointed on Tuesday to replace Uichiro Niwa, who has been criticized for his dealing with the worst diplomatic dispute between Japan and China in recent years.
小題1:The Diaoyu Islands are actually inhabited(居住) by              .

A．Japan

B．China

C．Taiwan

D．Nobody

小題2:Which of the following is TRUE?

A．Japan fired at the 6 Chinese ships to warn them to leave the waters.

B．China admitted that the 6 ships had been forced to leave the waters.

C．The US called on both sides to calm down.

D．Shinichi Nishimiya was unconscious(昏迷的) in the hospital because somebody attacked him.

小題3:Why was Uichiro Niwa replaced?

A．He isn’t iron(強(qiáng)硬) enough in dealing with the diplomatic disputes between Japan and China.

B．His health condition is not good enough to work there.

C．He didn’t do well in dealing with the diplomatic dispute about the Diaoyu Islands.

D．He criticized the Chinese government publicly in an improper way.

小題4:This news report is most likely to be selected from the              newspaper.

A．British

B．Chinese

C．Japanese

D．American

Big Brothers Big Sisters is based on the simplicity and power of friendship. It is a program which provides friendship and fun by matching vulnerable young people(ages 7-17) with a volunteer adult who can be both a role model and a supportive friend.
Volunteer tutors come from all walks of life—married, single, with or without children. Big Brothers and Big Sisters are not replacement parents or social workers. They are tutors: someone to trust, to have fun with, to talk and go to when needed.
A Big Sister and Little Sister will generally spend between one and four hours together three or four times each month for at least twelve months. They enjoy simple activities such as a picnic at a park, cooking, playing sport or going to a football match. These activities improve the friendship and help the young person develop positive self-respect, confidence and life direction.
Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations exist throughout the world. It is the large and most well-known provider of tutor services internationally and has been operating for 25 years.
Emily and Sarah have been matched since 2008. Emily is a 10-year-old girl who has experienced some difficulties being accepted by her schoolmates at school. “I was pretty sure there was something wrong with me.”
Emily’s mum came across Big Brothers Big Sisters and thought it would be of benefit to Emily by “providing different feedback(反饋) about herself other than just relying on schoolmates to measure her self-worth.
Sarah wanted to get involved in a volunteer program. “I googled it and found out how to be a part of it. I thought it would be fun for me to get involved in making time to do something because sometimes it is all work and no play.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters has been of great benefit and enjoyment to both Emily and Sarah. They love and look forward to their time together and the partnership has certainly helped Emily be more comfortable in being the wonderful, happy and unique girl she is!
小題1:What is the aim of Big Brothers Big Sisters?

A．To offer students public services.

B．To help students improve their grades.

C．To organize sport activities for young people.

D．To provide partnership and fun for young people.

小題2:According to Emily’s mother, this program may provide Emily with              .

A．a(chǎn)dvice from her teachers

B．a(chǎn) new way to assess herself

C．a(chǎn) new way to judge her schoolmates

D．more comments from her schoolmates

小題3:Why did Sarah want to get involved in the program?

A．She used to be a volunteer.

B．She needed a part-time job.

C．She felt a bit bored with her life.

D．She wanted to get a challenging job.

小題4:According to the passage, “vulnerable young people” are probably those who are              .

A．popular at school	B．rather weak physically
C．easily hurt emotionally	D．confident in themselves

When it comes to President Obama, most of his personal business is already known by the public. Personal information about his children, Malia and Sasha, however, has been kept a little more under wraps.
The New York Times recently released a list of rules that Michelle Obama has mentioned over the years that Malia and Sasha must follow during their time in the White House, as well as in general. See how the first family educates their children:
The girls must write reports about what they’ve seen on their trips, even if it’s not required by their school.
Malia may use her cell phone only on the weekends, and she and her sister cannot watch television or use a computer for anything but homework during the week.
Malia and Sasha have to play two sports: one they choose and one selected by their mother.
Malia must learn to do laundry(洗衣服) before she leaves for college.
The girls have to eat their vegetables, and if they say they are not hungry, they cannot ask for cookies or chips later.
While these might be shocking to some, Michelle said, “They’re not little princess. It’s just basic rules, boundaries, and expectations that we would have normally.”
Michelle also mentions another set of rules:
The girls must do their chores(家務(wù)), though the White House has a large staff. Malia and Sasha have chores of their own.
They must play a team sport, because it’s about learning how to play on a team, how to lose and how to win gracefully.
…
It sounds like Michelle and Barack want the best for their kids and to make them as well-rounded as possible. What are your thoughts on the Obama family rules?  
小題1:What’s the passage mainly about?

A．The first family daily life.	B．The first family rules.
C．How to be good parents.	D．How to be good students.

小題2:What do the underlined words “under wraps” probably mean?

A．Attractive.

B．Calm.

C．Secret.

D．Public

小題3:What has to be followed after the girls’ every trip?

A．Emails.

B．Photos.

C．Homework.

D．Reports.

小題4:Which of the following is the exception for the girls?

A．To use cell phone freely.	B．To play two sports.
C．To learn to do laundry.	D．To eat their vegetables.

小題5:Which of the following is NOT True according to the passage?

A．The girls have to obey the rules only when they live in the White House.

B．The girls must do their chores though there might be lots of help around.

C．The girls must play a team sport to gain team spirit by working together.

D．The parents want to make the girls grow healthily as common children.

The managing editor is usually the person in charge of the day-to-day editorial process of a newspaper. He or she makes sure that the newspaper comes out on time each day and that costs are kept within a budget. He or she is usually responsible for hiring and firing newsroom staff, and serves as the spokesperson for the newspaper. The managing editor may also be involved in story, photo and graphics selection, assignments, laying out pages, and editing copy and writing headlines. 
The news editor is in charge of the news pages of the newspaper. He or she makes decisions on which stories are used and which are not. The news editor and his or her assistants also lay out pages of the paper.
The copy editor edits wire and local stories and writes headlines. The copy editor is often the last person to see a story before it actually appears in print.
The city editor makes sure that the news in the city is covered and that as many local stories as possible get into each edition. The city editor monitors the local general assignment, beat and specialty reporters.
The state editor supervises reporters who cover communities and areas outside the city but still within the circulation (流通) area of the newspaper.
The national editor supervises reporters in bureaus in cities outside the circulation area of the newspaper. Most newspapers rely on the wire services for national news, but some have correspondents(通信員) who work in other cities and report to the national editor.
小題1:If you want to apply for a job in a newspaper newsroom, you are likely to be interviewed by _____.

A．the news editor	B．the national editor
C．the state editor	D．the managing editor

小題2:From the passage, we can learn that _________.

A．the managing editor is mainly responsible for laying out pages of the paper

B．the news editor determines which stories are used

C．the copy editor is often the first person to see the story

D．the state editor supervises the local general assignment, beat and specialty reporters

小題3:The national news is mostly sent to the national editor by all of the following ways EXCEPT _____.

A．by e-mail	B．by fax
C．by letter	D．by telephone

小題4:The underlined word “supervises” in the last paragraph can be replaced by ________.

A．is in favor of

B．is in honor of

C． is in charge of

D．is in need of

小題5:What is mainly discussed in this passage?

A．How newspapers are made.

B．People in a newspaper newsroom.

C．How news is collected and edited.

D．People in charge of the newspaper industry.

Virginia is set to begin enforcing the toughest drunken-driving punishment, one that will require thousands of first-time offenders—whether they were highly drunk or slightly over the limit—to install in their cars blood- alcohol testing devices that can lock the ignition. The devices work like this—A driver must blow into a blood alcohol device linked to the car’s ignition. If the result is higher than the legal limit, the car will not start. The device also requires random “rolling retests” once the driver is on the road.
Virginia’s current law requires only repeated offenders or those with a blood alcohol level of 0.15 or higher to have an ignition interlock device in their cars.
The new law, which takes effect in July, will roughly increase the number of people required to use ignition interlock devices four times, and offenders will have to pay about $ 480 for a typical six-month installation.
The measure has caused a debate between groups battling drunken driving and those representing offenders. Such groups as Mother Against Drunken Driving and The Washington Regional Alcohol Program say that Virginia’s 274 alcohol-related road deaths and more than 5,500 injuries in 2010 remained unacceptably high despite years of cracking down on drunken driving. Ignition interlock devices, they say, reduce repeat offenses. But some public defenders and lawyers argue that the devices are too severe a punishment for offenders at the legal blood alcohol limit 0.08, and that the court system will be burdened by more cases going to trial and lower-income drivers will be affected by the fees.
Del. Sal R. Iaquinto, who sponsored the bill, had a simple reply for concerns about the costs of the interlock devises: “How much does a life cost?” “Blowing into a tube for six months, you will remember that,” Iaquinto said, “And you’re not likely to offend again.”
小題1:The underlined word “ignition” in Paragraph 1probably refers to the part in a car where ___________.

A．the alarm goes off

B．the engine starts

C．the door opens

D．the car is fueled

小題2:Who are required to install the blood alcohol devices according to the current law?

A．The first time drunken-driving offenders.

B．The drivers who are not able to pay offence fees.

C．The repeat drunken-driving offenders.

D．Drivers whose blood alcohol level is below 0.15.

小題3:The reason why some defenders and lawyers oppose the new law is that ____________.

A．fewer cases go to trial

B．lower-income drivers will not afford to drink again

C．interlock devices increase repeat offenses

D．the devices are too severe a punishment for offenders

小題4:The debate aroused by the measure implies that ___________.

A．prevention is better than cure	B．no law is absolutely perfect
C．punishment is the key to all	D．justice has long arms

小題5:What is Del. Sal R. Iaquinto’s attitude towards the new law?

A．Negative.

B．Indifferent.

C．flexible.

D．workable.