A winter wonderland on the outskirts of Quebec City has become one of Canada's hottest
attractions and most sought out accommodations. Guests stay close for warmth in sleeping bags
on beds of ice, hats pulled over their ears to prevent frostbite, while sipping cocktails (雞尾酒) in
glasses also made of ice.
     A cool place to host a memorable wedding or for a romantic getaway, the Quebec Ice Hotel
has attracted 600,000 curious tourists, including 30,000 who stayed overnight, since opening
seasonally 11 years ago. Like Victoria and Jeremy Martin, dozens of couples will exchange vows
(誓約) this winter in a temporary church next to the hotel, sculpted entirely from blocks of ice with
seats covered in furs.
     Average temperatures fall below minus 20 degrees C (minus four F) in winter, but inside the hotel's
36 rooms it is relatively cozy. Thick walls of packed snow and ice act as an insulator, trapping body
heat inside. Each room is uniquely decorated, using designs created by Quebec architecture students.
Two hotel bars also sell special cocktails in ice glasses.
     First-time guests of the hotel, however, are recommended to stay only one night as sleeping in
sub-zero temperatures is not very refreshing. This year for the first time the ice hotel has teamed up
with a bricks and concrete Quebec City hotel to offer packages for one-night accommodations at
each. Prices for one night only at the ice hotel start at 200 US dollars per person.
     The 3,000-square-metre (32,300-square-feet) buildings take six weeks starting in December to
build, using 15,000 tonnes of snow and 500 tonnes of ice, at a cost of some 750,000 US dollars.
Eleven weeks after its seasonal grand opening, the hotel will close on March 27 and then melt away
with the arrival of spring.

1. What is true with the ice hotel?

A. 630,000 people have visited it.
B. 30,000 people visit it each year.
C. It has stayed open for many years.
D. Wedding ceremonies are often held there.

2. The underlined word "insulator" in Paragraph 3 possibly refers to something that _____.

A. stops heat passing throughit
B. collects and reflects light and heat
C. makes things become very cold
D. works like an air-conditioner

3. What can we learn about the hotel rooms?

A. It can be -20°C inside.
B. The temperature is always below 0°C.
C. The rooms all look alike.
D. Each room costs $200 per night.

4. First-time guests are advised to stay there only one night because _____.

A. they may not be able to stand the cold
B. their other night is with an ordinary hotel
C. new guests have less advantages over old ones
D. the first-day service is just for a test run

5. If you choose to visit the ice hotel during the Christmas season, you'll find _____.

A. it doesn't exist at all
B. it is just being built
C. most of its rooms are vacant
D. it is crowded with guests

     She is widely seen as proof that good looks can lastforever. But,at nearly 500 years of age,
time is catching up with the Mona Lisa.
     The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1505,is getting worse
by the year, according to the Louvre Museum where it is housed.
     "The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since
experts checked it two years ago," the museum said. Visitors have noticedchanges but
repairing the world's most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials
the Italian artist used and their current chemical state.
     Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every

year, many attracted by the mystery of her smile. "It is very interestingthat when you're not
looking at her, she seems, to be smiling, andthen you look at herand she stops, "said Professor
Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University . "It's because direct vision is excellent at picking
updetail,but less suitedto looking at shadows. Da Vinci paintedthe smile in shadows. "
     However,the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as my stcrious as the smile. DaVinci
himself loved it so much that he always carriedit with him, until it was even-tually soldto France's
King Francis Ⅰ in 1519.
In 1911,the painting was stolen from the Louvre by a former employee, who took it out of the
museum hidden under his coat. He said he plannedto return it to Italy. The painting was sent
back toFrance two years later. During World War Ⅱ,French hidthe painting in small towns to
keep it out of the hands ofGerman forces.

1. We can infer from the text that_______.

A. the Mona Lisais proved to be able to last another 500 years
B. Mona Lisa's beauty is fading gradually with 500 years passing by
C. the Mona Lisa has been catching people's wide attention in the past 500 years
D. Mona Lisa does not look out of date though painted 500 years ago

2. Which of the following is TRUE. about the Mona Lisa?_____

A. It was once taken away and hidden up by German forces.
B. Its painter himself lovedit greatly and always kept itin ashade.
C. Mona Lisa stops smiling when you look at her wantingto see her smiles.
D. King FrancisIbought it and then returned it to Italy.

3. Choose the right orderabout the happenings onto the MonaLisa._____
a. It was stolen from theLouvre.
b. Its painter sold it to King FrancisⅠ .
c. Its stateof health was checked.
d. It was returned to France and housed in the Louvre Museum.
c. It was hidden andprotected against Germans.

A. b,a,d,c,e
B. d,e,c,b,a
C. d,a,c,c,b
D. b,c,a,d,e

3.It may add to the difficulty in repairing the painting that_______.

A. experts haven't noticed changes in its shape as visitors do
B. it is likely tobe stolen again when it's under repair
C. it is uncertain which country, Italy or France, should take charge
D. expertsaren't sure about the materials or the chemical state of its oil paints

     Violin prodigies (神童), I learned, have come in distinct waves from distinct regions. Most
of the great performers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were born and brought up in
Russia and Eastern Europe. I asked Isaac Stern, one of the world's greatest violinists, the reason
for this phenomenon."It is very clear," he told me. "They were all Jews (猶太人) and Jews at
the time were severely oppressed and ill-treated in that part of the world. They were not allowed
into the professional fields, but they were allowed to achieve excellence on a concert stage."
As a result, every Jewish parent's dream was to have a child in the music school because it was
a passport to the West.
     Another element in the emergence of prodigies, I found, is a society that values excellence
in a certain field and is able to nurture (培育) talent. Nowadays, the most nurturing societies
seem to be in the Far East. "In Japan, a most competitive society with stronger discipline than
ours,"says Isaac Stern,"children are ready to test their limits every day in many fields, including
music. When Western music came to Japan after World War II, that music not only became
part of their daily lives, but it became a discipline as well." The Koreans and Chinese, as we
know, are just as highly motivated as the Japanese.
     That's a good thing, because even prodigies must work hard. Next to hard work, biological
inheritance plays an important role in the making of a prodigy. J. S. Bach, for example, was the
top of several generations of musicians, and four of his sons had significant careers in music.

1. Jewish parents in Eastern Europe longed for their children to attend music school because_____.

A. it would allow them access to a better life in the West
B. Jewish children are born with excellent musical talent
C. they wanted their children to enter into the professional fields
D. it would enable the family to get better treatment in their own country

2. Nurturing societies as mentioned in the passage refer to societies that_____

A. enforce strong discipline on students who want to achieve excellence
B. treasure talent and provide opportunities for its full development
C. encourage people to compete with each other
D. promise talented children high positions

3. Japan is described in the passage as a country that attaches importance to ._____

A. all-round development
B. the learning of Western music
C. strict training of children
D. variety in academic studies

4. Which of the following contributes to the emergence of musical prodigies according to
the passage?_____

A. A natural gift.
B. Extensive knowledge of music-
C. Very early training.
D. A prejudice-free society.

5. Which of the following titles best summarizes the main idea of the passage?_____

A. Jewish Contribution to Music.
B. Training of Musicians in the World.
C. Music and Society.
D. The Making of Prodigies

     The Friday after the American holiday of Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. It's said that it's the
day that store ledgers(分類(lèi)賬)move into the black and companies become profitable. On that day,
retailers slash(砍) prices to get consumers to buy.  It is also a time when many Americans start their
Christmas shopping. VOA's Elizabeth Lee tells us how the economy may affect consumers on that
bargain day.
     This day should be a shopper's dream. "It's just the deals, the sales and everything you can get for
a lesser price," said Sandy Thomas, a shopper. But it's a nightmare for others. "I think it's crazy. I've
done all of my shopping throughout the week so I don't have to go out on Friday," she said. It's called
Black Friday, the start of the traditional Christmas shopping season in the United States. Every year it's
the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. Stores open before sunrise and there are deep discounts
everywhere you look.
     Last year a crowd of bargain-hunters killed a Wal-mart worker in a New York suburb. This year,
many stores are increasing security while they slash prices. "This is a huge time for the retail stores,"
said Fred Joutz from George Washington University. "This is when they begin making their profits for
the year."
     Economics professor Fred Joutz says how Americans spend the weekend after Thanksgiving is a
good indication of how consumers feel about the future.
     With the unemployment rate above 10 percent, Joutz says Americans are saving more and spending
less. Some retailers are attracting consumers by opening on Thanksgiving Day, when shops are
traditionally closed.  Other stores open their doors anywhere from midnight to four in the morning.
     And shoppers will be lining up in front of the doors in order to be one of the first ones to walk
through and get a big discount. Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually the first items to go. Sandy
Thomas says it's an annual family tradition and well worth it. "I just save maybe half of what I would
have spent on a regular, you know, shopping trip," she said.
     Economists say U.S. consumers will spend money this Black Friday, but they will spend it more
carefully.

1. By saying "This day should be a shopper's dream", the writer means ________ .

A. shoppers have longed for this day for a long time
B. the shops will be very crowded on that day
C. the shops will keep open until the daybreak of next day
D. shoppers can buy many items at low prices on that day

2. Why are many stores increasing security according to the passage?

A. Because there are too many people saving more and spending less.
B. Because it's a time when they begin making their profits for the year.
C. Because last year a crowd of bargain-hunters caused an accident.
D. Because many stores open their doors from midnight to four a.m.

3. From the passage we know that_________.

A. Christmas shopping is traditional time and this year it is no exception.
B. Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually least discounted.
C. The economy only affects consumers on that bargain day.
D. Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future.

4. We can find this passage in_________. 

A. a science fiction                      
B. a travel brochure
C. an economic research report            
D. a book on psychology

5. Why American people call it a black day?

A. Because they organize activities in honor of some great person.
B. Because there are too many people going out shopping for Christmas.
C. Too many people are celebrating Thanks giving.
D. The sky is black that day.

1. What does the underlined word "tremendous" probably mean?

A. good          
B. terrible          
C. dull      
D. great

2. Representative Lyle Boren of Oklahoma was__________. 

A. a crazy supporter of The Grapes of Wrath            
B. among the group against John Steinbeck
C. sympathetic to the migrant living conditions
D. criticized by the first lazy of that time

3.Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason why The Grapes of Wrath sold well?

A. It well describes people's life during that time.
B. The debate over it arose more readers' interest.
C. Readers were attracted by the obscenity in it
D. It was not expensive so people could afford it.

4.Which of the following is TRUE about The Grapes of Wrath?

A. It is about the migrant workers in America during 1940s.
B. The story mainly happened on California's grape farms..
C. Its description of the poor and hopeless life was a lie.
D. It remains a banned book in some places of the USA.

5. What can best prove the literature value of The Grapes of Wrath?

A. It was a number-one best-seller after its publication.
B. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt praised it.
C. It has won many important prizes in America.
D. It survives the time and remains a classic.