Australian Flag Designs by Readers of the Sun-Herald
We received dozens of responses after inviting readers to send in their designs for a new flag. The designs we received include:
James Anthony, Drummoyne
James reduces the Union Jack down in size and changes its shape to become a reminder of the British tradition rather than canceling it altogether. At the same time he suggests enlarging the stars of the Southern Cross. His design attempts to use the best of both worlds in a newly designed flag.
As he says, “the British part of the Australian Flag is too big and the Australian bits are too small. When you make the stars bigger the Australian flag can look impressive.”
Joe Bollen, Turranmurra
Joe’s flag has the main elements of a risen sun, white horizon(地平線), red earth at the base and the Southern Cross. He intends to make the risen sun a special Australian symbol on the flag. He believes it represents life. The Southern Cross shows that we live in the Southern Hemisphere. (半球)
Maria Ieraci, Sydney
Maria deleted the Union Jack but otherwise kept the flag as is with the Southern Cross and Federation Star. She says, ‘There is only one correct way to change the Australian flag” and that is “to drop the Union Jack ---- when Australia becomes a Republic”, which she hopes will be before 2010.
Ron Bennett, Sydney
Ron recommends using the Aboriginal colors but replacing their image of the sun with the map of Australia. He says, “Australia is unique being an island continent with an instantly recognizable outline at that” and “this will leave no doubt as to which country the flag belongs.”
【小題1】Which of the four designs can remind you of the past of the country?

A．Joe’s

B．Maria’s

C．Ron’s

D．Jame’s

【小題2】The Southern Cross in some of the designs represents _________.

A．the spirit of the nation	B．the position of the country
C．the tradition of Britain	D．the expectations of the people

【小題3】What does the Union Jack refer to?

A．the British flag	B．A former British ruler
C．group of stars	D．A former symbol of Australia

【小題4】Which of the following shows the correct matches of the designs and their designers?
           

A．by Maria by Ron by Joe by James

B．by Joeby Mariaby James by Ron

C． by Ron by James by Maria by Joe

D．by Jamesby Joe by Ron by Maria

　The greatest recent social changes have been in the lives of women. During the twentieth century there has been a remarkable shortening of the time of a woman’s life spent in caring for children. A woman marrying at the end of the nineteenth century would probably have been in her middle twenties, and would be likely to have seven or eight children, of whom four or five lived till they were five years old. By the time the youngest was fifteen, the mother would have been in her early fifties and would expect to live a further twenty years, during which health made it unusual for her to get paid work. Today women marry younger and have fewer children. Usually a woman‘s youngest child will be fifteen when she is forty-five and can be expected to live another thirty-five years and is likely to take paid work until retirement(退休) at sixty. Even while she has the care of children, her work is lightened by modern living conditions.
　　This important change in women’s life-pattern has only recently begun to have its full effect on women‘s economic position. Even a few years ago most girls left schools at the first chance, and most of them took a full-time job. However, when they married, they usually left work at once and never returned to it. Today the school-leaving age is sixteen, many girls stay at school after that age, and though women usually marry younger, more married women stay at least until shortly before their first child is born. Very many more afterwards return to full or part-time work. Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage, with the husband accepting a greater share of the duties and satisfactions of family life, and with the both husband and wife sharing more equally in providing the money, and running the home, according to the abilities and interests of each of them.
　【小題1】According to the passage, around the year 1900 most women married ________.
　　A. at about twenty-five B. in their early fifties
　　C as soon as possible after they were fifteen
　　D. at any age from fifteen to forty-five
　【小題2】 We are told that in a common family about 1900 _________.

A．many children died before they were five

B．seven or eight children lived to be more than five

C．the youngest child would be fifteen

D．four or five children died when they were five

【小題3】When she was over fifty, the late nineteenth-century mother _________.

A．would be healthy enough to take up paid jobs

B．was usually expected to die fairly soon

C．would expect to work until she died

D．was unlikely to find a job even if she wanted one

【小題4】According to the passage, the women of today usually _________.

A．marry instead of getting paid work	B．marry before they are twenty-five
C．have more children under fifteen	D．have too few children

Usually, when your teacher asks a question, there is only one correct answer． But there is one question that has millions of correct answers． That question is “What’s your name?” Everyone gives a different answer, but everyone is correct．
Have you ever wondered about people’s names? Where do they come from? What do they mean?
People’s first names, or given names, are chosen by their parents． Sometimes the name of a grandparent or other member of the family is used． Some parents choose the name of a well-known person． A boy could be named George Washington Smith; a girl could be named Helen Keller Jones．
Some people give their children names that mean good things． Clara means “bright”; Beatrice means “one who gives happiness”; Donald means “world ruler”; Leonard means “as brave as a lion”．
The earliest last names, or surnames, were taken from place names． A family with the name Brook or Brooks probably lived near a brook （小溪）; someone who was called Longstreet probably lived on a long, paved road． The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest．
Other early surnames came from people’s occupations． The most common occupational name is Smith, which means a person who makes things with iron or other metals． In the past, smiths were very important workers in every town and village． Some other occupational names are: Carter—a person who owned or drove a cart; Potter—a person who made pots and pans．
The ancestors of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village． The Carpenter’s great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture．
Sometimes people were known for the color of their hair or skin, or their size, or their special abilities． When there were two men who were named John in the same village, the John with gray hair probably became John Gray． Or the John who was very tall could call himself John Tallman． John Fish was probably an excellent swimmer and John Lightfoot was probably a fast runner or a good dancer．
Some family names were made by adding something to the father’s name． English-speaking people added –s or –son． The Johnsons are descendants of John; the Roberts family’s ancestor was Robert． Irish and Scottish people added Mac or Mc or O． Perhaps all of the MacDonnells and the O’Donnells are descendants of the same Donnell．
【小題1】Which of the following aspects do the surnames in the passage NOT cover?

A．Places where people lived．	B．People’s characters．
C．Talents that people possessed．	D．People’s occupations．

【小題2】According to the passage, the ancestors of the Potter family most probably _______．

A．owned or drove a cart	B．made things with metals
C．made kitchen tools or containers．	D．built houses and furniture．

【小題3】Suppose an English couple whose ancestors lived near a leafy forest wanted their new-born son to become a world leader, the baby might be named ________．

A．Beatrice Smith	B．Leonard Carter
C．George Longstreet	D．Donald Greenwood

Recently, online high schools in America have sparked (激發(fā)) a debate about whether or not taxpayers’ money should be used to support online education. Online schools receive the same amount of funding as all other public schools, even though they don’t have to pay for rent or school equipment. States should use their educational funds to improve education at real schools, not to support online programs.
Some students only use online classes to supplement their school work. They benefit from the social experience of a traditional high school, while still taking online courses.
However, about 90 thousand students in America receive their education only from online schools. 50 thousand of these students take courses at Florida Virtual School, the largest online school in the country. While this method of schooling helps students who live in remote regions, most school systems are upset that they are losing more students each year to these online programs. 
Although online learning allows children to work at their own pace, these online schools have only one teacher per several hundred students. Often, teachers can’t give struggling students the help they need as they are unable to talk face-to-face with them, to find exactly what they’re having difficulty with.  
Additionally, even though online schooling accommodates (顧及) students who live in more remote states, students in online programs may suffer in social situations because they will not learn valuable communication skills from their schooling. Similar to students who are home schooled, those who take only online classes won’t learn social etiquette (禮節(jié)), and will be treated differently by their peers.
Online schooling might be useful for places where there are not enough students for a real school, such as agricultural regions, but states should only spend taxpayers’ money on online schools in extreme cases.
【小題1】What is the passage mainly about?

A．Whether students should study at online schools.

B．Whether online schools should be allowed to exist.

C．Whether taxpayers should pay for online schools.

D．Whether traditional schools should be replaced.

【小題2】According to the passage, online schooling _____.

A．is helpful to students living in remote regions

B．a(chǎn)llows students to work together

C．makes it possible for students to get immediate help

D．develops students’ critical thinking

【小題3】According to Paragraph 5, the author worries that students at online schools _____.

A．might lose interest in learning

B．would play online games

C．could not receive teachers’ help

D．could not become fully developed

【小題4】 What is the author’s attitude?

A．Taxpayers should not pay for online schools at all.

B．Taxpayers should pay more for online schools than real schools.

C．Taxpayers’ money should be spent on online schools conditionally.

D．Taxpayers should support online schools in different ways.

Jeans are very popular especially with teenagers. It’s said that the material came originally from Nimes, a city in France. These jeans were particularly created for the sailors, who loved wearing jeans very much. These jeans could be worn when wet and it could even be rolled over with ease. This was particularly useful when the sailors were busy with their everyday work.
Our favorite pair of blue, jeans was originally worn by workers particularly during World War II. Perhaps the strong and durable(耐用的) look made these blue jeans popular among all the factory workers. A strange thing that can be noticed happened in the early period of the 1950s when blue jeans worn by teens were considered to be a form of being against others. Besides, adults who wore blue jeans were not allowed to enter a movie theatre. It was only during the 1960s that blue jeans were accepted as a fashion trend in the United States of America. Movie stars wore them in films and in public. Many young people follow them.
The different looks of the regular blue jeans which are enjoyed by people were introduced by the mid 1950s. It was Donald Freeland who gave jeans a whole new look and brought it to the front. Originally, jeans were always worn loose. At first, jeans worn by men had the zipper(拉鏈)on the front. However, for women, it was on the side. By the late 1960's , the zipper finally was on the front side for women as well.
Today, there are many new designs that are being created by fashion designers to meet the increasing demands from jean lovers! A pair of basic blue jeans, however, is one such piece of clothing that will never go out of fashion! When you open one's cupboard, there is always one pair of jeans one likes best.
【小題1】The sailors originally were interested in wearing jeans because jeans     .

A．could give them a pleasant look	B．were convenient and easy to use
C．were cheaper than other trousers	D．could be washed and made easily

【小題2】According to the passage, blue jeans          .

A．were once a sign of being against their parents

B．were popular with people of different ages in the 1950s

C．began to be poplar with American people in the 1960s

D．have been worn by the factory workers after World War II

【小題3】The following all lead to the popularity of jeans EXCEPT        .

A．American culture	B．various designs
C．movie stars' influence	D．its cloth quality

【小題4】It is known from the passage that       .

A．Donald Freeland gave jeans a whole new design

B．the zipper was always on the front side of all jeans

C．The jeans were introduced into America in the 1950s

D．Donald Freeland was the first to make jeans popular in the world

【小題5】In the last paragraph, the writer is trying to          .

A．show his interest in blue jeans

B．tell us the popularity of jeans

C．praise the benefits of blue jeans

D．discuss the development of jeans

It’s time to do something for your father – the man who for many people has been an encouragement and support since birth.
The third Sunday of June is Father’s Day. The holiday honors not only fathers, but also all men who act as father figures, such as stepfathers, uncles and grandfathers.
The idea of Father’s Day came from the love and appreciation of American lady called Sonore Smart Dodd in 1909.
Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. He raised six children by himself on a countryside farm in Washington State after his wife died during the birth of their sixth child.
When Dodd became an adult, she realized the selflessness her father has shown in raising his children as a single parent.
It was her father who did all for his children. In the eyes of his daughter, William Smart was a courageous, selfless and loving man.[
Dodd’s father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father’s Day celebration in Washington on June 19^th, 1910.
In 1924, US President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father’s Day. Finally, in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson declared the third Sunday of June as Father’s day.
So this is a perfect chance to let your father know what he means to you. To show your love and respect, you need not buy an expensive gift. You can send him a home – made card; You can call him every day; Even you can give him a sweet smile when he comes back from work. All these little things are easy for us to so, but they can show your care and love to your father.
【小題1】Father’s Day always falls on         .

A．the same day every year	B．the last day of June
C．the third Sunday of June	D．June 16th of each year

【小題2】Which of the following was NOT used to describe the character of Dodd’s father?

A．Loving

B．Sellless.

C．Humorous.

D．Courageous.

【小題3】What does the underlined word “raise” in the fourth paragraph mean?

A．抬高

B．飼養(yǎng)

C．升起

D．養(yǎng)育

【小題4】Who declared the third Sunday of June as Father’s Day?

A．President Coolidge.	B．President Johnson.
C．President Washington.	D．President Lincoln.

【小題5】What’s the best title for this passage?

A．Father’s Day	B．Being a Good Father
C．Dodd’s Father	D．Showing Love to Your Father

In November, 2010, the CPI ( consumer price index) went up by 5.1 percent year-on-year(同比). The price grew by 4.9 percent in cities and 5.6 percent in rural areas. The food price went up by 11.7 percent while the non-food price increased by 1.9 percent.
Grouped by commodity(商品) categories, in November, of the eight categories of commodities, six of them experienced prices rise and two witnessed prices decline. Of which, prices for food went up by 11.7 percent; prices for tobacco, liquor and articles rose by 1.6 percent; price for clothing went down by 0.7 percent; prices for household facilities, articles and maintenance services went up by 0.7 percent; health care and personal articles rose by 4.0 percent; transportation and communication went down by 0.7 percent; recreation, education, culture articles and services grew by 0.6 percent, and housing went up by 5.8 percent.
In November this year, the month-on-month(環(huán)比)change of consumer price was up by 1.1 percent. Of which, price in cities went up by 1.0 percent and that in rural areas went up by 1.3 percent.
The food price rose by 2.0 percent and the non-food price increased by 0.6 percent. The price of consumer goods grew by 1.5 percent, and the price of services went down by 0.2 percent.
Grouped by commodity categories, in November, prices for food rose by 2.0 percent month-on-month, of which the price for fresh vegetables decreased by 1.9 percent; prices for tobacco, liquor and articles increased by 0.2 percent, price for clothing went up by 1.6 percent, prices for household facilities, articles and maintenance services increased by 0.4 percent, health care and personal articles grew by 0.7 percent; transportation and communication maintained the same level, recreation, education, culture articles and services dropped by 1.0 percent, and housing went up by 1.8 percent.
【小題1】 We can infer from the text that the price of _______ has been rising faster than the other three.

A．eggs

B．KTV’s

C．houses

D．cigarettes

【小題2】According to the passage, a coat worth ￥500 in October may cost you ______ in November.

A．505

B．580

C．503.5

D．451.5

【小題3】What’s the best title for this passage ?

A．The Food Price Went Up by 11.7 Percent in November

B．The Reasons for the Price Increase of Various Commodities in November

C．The Price Grew by 4.9 Percent in Cities and 5.6 Percent in Rurall Areas in November

D．China Inflation(通貨膨脹)Went Up by 5.1 Percent in November

“Dinning out” and “eating out” are phrases people use in Britain when they eat in a restaurant or pub（小酒館）. Eating out is more popular in Britain today than it has ever been. In 2006, for the first time ever, British people spent more eating out than cooking for themselves and eating at home. It seems that many British people are becoming increasingly interested in how good their food tastes, and also how healthy it is.
However, eating out can also be expensive. As British people do not eat out every night of the week, eating in a restaurant is often seen as a special occasion. When going on a first date and wanting to impress him/ her , or if celebrating an anniversary or a birthday, many people like to go to a restaurant to eat, and people often also eat in a restaurant before going to the cinema or the theater.
As in all cultures, there are many rules of etiquette(禮儀) surrounding food and eating. The knife and fork should be used in the correct way! It is also impolite to have your elbows(肘部) on the dinning table when you are eating.
Almost all British cities have a vast range of food as well as traditional British food, and all from the very cheap to the very expensive---French, Italian, Indian, Chinese, Greek, Thai, Japan and many, many more. In fact, when asked which was their favorite food, more British people said an Indian curry(咖喱菜肴) than any other dish !
As well as dining in a restaurant, when people are too tired to cook after work they often get a “take-away”. This means that they order from a take-out restaurant by telephone, and then go to collect it and take it home to eat. Many take-out restaurants also deliver it your house. While you can normally find a take-out restaurant for almost any food, the most popular are Italian, Indian and Chinese and then all of you have to do is to open the door, pay and eat !
【小題1】On which of the following occasions are British people likely to eat in a restaurant ?

A．After watching a play.	B．Before watching a movie.
C．When they’re too tired to work.	D．When they want to have natural food.

【小題2】From the passage we can know that_______.

A．eating out is not expensive in Britain

B．eating at pubs doesn’t have so many rules in Britain

C．British people are not aware of nutrition while eating out

D．the British spent more eating at home more than eating out

【小題3】We can learn from the last two paragraphs that________.

A．French dishes are very expensive

B．take-out restaurants only deliver pizza

C．British people are fond of foreign food

D．people can eat take-out food first and pay later

【小題4】What is the passage mainly about ?

A．Restaurant culture in Britain.	B．Table manners.
C．Traditional British food.	D．Eating and health.

One of the most famous buildings in the United States is Carnegie Hall, the home of classical and popular music concerts in New York. Carnegie Hall is known not just for its beauty and history, but also for its amazing sound. It has been said that the hall itself is an instrument. It takes the music and makes it larger than life.
Carnegie Hall is named after Andrew Carnegie, who paid for its construction. He was a wealthy man who also gave a lot of money to schools and public libraries. Construction on Carnegie Hall began in 1890 and the official opening night was on May 5, 1891.
The hall was owned by the Carnegie family until 1924 when it was sold to Robert E. Simon. The building became very old and in 1960, the new owner made plans to destroy it and build an office block. Isaac Stem led a group of people who fought to save Carnegie Hall and finally, the city of New York bought it for $5 million. It was then fixed up between 1983 and 1995.
In 1986, people realized that Carnegie Hall had never kept proper records of its history. Advertisements and stories in newspapers about how Carnegie Hall needed help to recover its history led people to send in old concert programmes and information from all over the world. Over 12,000 concert programmes were received and with these it was possible to make a proper record of Carnegie Hall’s concert history.
Carnegie Hall is actually made up of several different halls, but the Main Hall, now called the Isaac Stern Hall, is the most famous. Most of the greatest performers of classical music since the time the hall was built have performed in the Main Hall, and its reception areas are decorated with signed photographs of these musicians. The hall itself can hold an audience of 2,804 in five levels of seating. Visitors to the top level have to climb up 105 steps to get there!
Because the best and most famous musicians of all time have played at Carnegie Hall, it is the dream of most musicians who want to be great to play there. This has led to a very old joke which is now part of Carnegie Hall’s history. Question: “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” Answer: “Practise, practise, practise.”
【小題1】What do music lovers expect in Carnegie Hall?

A．Musical concerts presented by first class performers.

B．Exhibits and photographs of historical events.

C．Musicians practicing for opportunities to play.

D．People dancing merrily at parties.

【小題2】What is the correct order of the following events?
a. Robert E. Simon bought it in 1924.
b. Carnegie Hall got its name.
c. Carnegie Hall recovered its history.
d. New York City paid $5,000,000 for it. 
e. Construction on Carnegie Hall began in 1890.

A．a(chǎn); c; b; d; e;

B．e; d; c; a; b

C．e; b; a; d; c

D．a(chǎn); e; c; d; b

【小題3】How long did it take Carnegie Hall to be fixed up?

A．9 years.

B．10 years.

C．11 years.

D．12 years.

【小題4】 How did Carnegie Hall recover its concert history?

A．Through newspaper reports.

B．Through old concert programmes.

C．Through old photographs.

D．Through old jokes.

【小題5】Why do you think the Main Hall is now called the Isaac Stern Hall?

A．Because Isaac Stern is a famous musician.

B．Because Isaac Stern built the Main Hall.

C．Because Isaac Stern saved Carnegie Hall.

D．Because Isaac Stern made up the Carnegie Hall joke.

Another small animal that tigers eat in Ranthambhore （a wildlife park in northern India） is the porcupine （豪豬）．These animals are spread widely across India in open areas and grasslands; they often live in the earth and between rocks．They are good diggers, and in Ranthambhore are nocturnal （夜出的）; they only come out at night．They weigh 12 to 16 kilograms and reach the length of 80 to 90 centimetres．They live usually on vegetables and fruit and seem to have a good sense of smell．Porcupines defend themselves when attacked by moving backwards with their quills upright, often making a strange noise．
Several times, I have found the remains of quills where a tiger has killed and eaten a porcupine, but I have never actually seen the kill．In spite of the quills, experienced tigers will try to kill clearly by biting the porcupine’s head, its weakest spot．But the quills are very sharp and can give painful injuries to young tigers．If the quills have gone in very deeply or if they are stuck in the tiger’s paw, it will try to pull them out．Often, it will be successful, and the wound will get better．But, if the quills have gone in very deeply or if they are stuck in the tiger’s neck or mouth, where they cannot be reached, the wound will often turn bad．If this happens, the tiger is in pain and is less able to hunt animals．It has to look for easier prey and so may turn to cows on the edges of the forest．From this, it is a small step to becoming a man-eater．
【小題1】 A porcupine is a small animal which _____．

A．likes to stay on vegetables and fruit

B．eats nothing but vegetables and fruit

C．prefers to stay on vegetables and fruit rather than anywhere else

D．has vegetables and fruit as its main food

【小題2】 The word “quill” here means ____．

A．teeth of a porcupine

B．feathers on a porcupine

C．long, sharp needle-like parts on a porcupine

D．paws of a porcupine

【小題3】According to this passage, what causes a tiger to become a man-eater?

A．When there are no porcupine for a tiger to catch．

B．When it turns to cows on the edges of the forest．

C．When a tiger wasn’t hurt seriously．

D．When it is difficult for a tiger to catch other animals．

【小題4】What is the proper title for this passage?

A．A Tiger and Its Food.

B．How Do Tiger Kill Porcupines?

C．What Can Cause a Tiger to Become a Man-eater?

D．A Porcupine.