A Book Review—The Snake-Stone by Berlie Doherty
The setting: Urban England (the cities), but also rural England (the countryside) including remote English villages．
The theme: The main theme is a teenage research of self-discovery, in this case the search for a mother from whom the hero was separated at an early age．Its other concerns are love, getting on with others, being persistent and courageous and trying to deal with doubts, troubles and worries．As the book moves to a close, James’ swimming coach says to him: “You are not like a kid obeying instructions any more．You are diving like a young man who knows where he is going．”
The characters: James is the hero of the story．He is a championship diver, and has a comfortable life with his foster parents (養(yǎng)父母)．Yet he also has the qualities to take him on a long journey to find his birth mother．The other characters in The Snake-Stone, James’ parents, his diving instructor, best friend, the villagers, people he meets on his journey, are pictured realistically．
The turning point: The turning point in the story comes while James’ foster parents are away in London, and he wonders about the identity of his birth mother．The only clue he has is a fossil, “the snake stone” which she left behind along with a note on which she had written: “Take good care of Sammie．It was written on a torn envelope with parts of an address still there．
The journey: Instead of going to London, James decides to find his birth mother．With help from his geography teacher, James sets out for the remote country village where his mother might be found．James has painful, challenging, but also humorous and happy travels．The mother he finally meets, Anne, has a minor yet powerful voice in the novel．He comes to understand why she left him at a stranger’s door fifteen years before．Although the meeting is not long, it leaves him with a feeling of completeness．As a journey of self-discovery The Snake-Stone also provides its readers with a happy ending．Its hero says, on returning to his foster parents, “I was home．”
【小題1】What is the main theme of the novel?

A．A journey of self-discovery．

B．Life in the world of diving．

C．Life with foster parents．

D．A travel around the country．

【小題2】 What do the coach’s words in Paragraph 2 suggest?

A．James is a successful diver．

B．James is an independent young man．

C．James is an outgoing young man．

D．James is a hopeful swimmer．

【小題3】 The snake stone in the novel is        ．

A．a(chǎn) stone with an address on it

B．a(chǎn) gift from the swimming coach

C．a(chǎn) clue left by the birth mother

D．a(chǎn) fossil left by the foster parents

【小題4】Which of the following is true about the novel?

A．The story has a sad ending．

B．The story takes place in the city of London．

C．The characters are vividly described．

D．The turning point comes after the hero meets his birth mother．

【小題5】It can be concluded that James’ journey is _________．

A．disappointing	B．boring
C．comfortable	D．worthwhile

The Chinese word"Shanzhai" means a small mountain village， but now it becomes an accepted name for fakes(假貨) after" Shanzhai cell phones " produced by small workshops in southern China ，became popular in the mainland market over the past few years.
Besides" Shanzhai" electronic products， there are "Shanzhai" movies， "Shanzhai" stars and even a "Shanzhai" Spring Festival Gala， a copy of the 25-year-old traditional show presented by CCTV on Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve.
" Shanzhai" has become a culture of its own，symbolizing anything that imitates something famous.
The phenomenon has caused a public debate over whether it is healthy or sick being a copycat.
In southwestern China's Chongqing Municipality，a "Shanzhai" -version"Bird’s Nest" woven by farmers with bamboo attracts wide attention and the"Shanzhai"-version "Water Cube"is popular with tourists too. Both are copies of the famous Olympics buildings in Beijing.
Xie Xizhang，a literature critic，said that taking the "Shanzhai" Gala as an example， when the traditional CCTV program becomes less and less attractive to the audience， the "Shanzhai" version appears naturally to attract people.
"In spite of its poor techniques and operation， ‘Shanzhai’ culture meets the psychological demands of common people and could be a comfort to their minds," Xie said.
Tian Huiqun，a professor at Beijing Normal University，said that "Shanzhai" culture never copies classic things，only trendy products. In that sense，it's like a computer virus， multiplying without meaning.
Though controversial，"Shanzhai" culture is becoming a widely accepted phenomenon.
"To the mainstream culture, the rise of ‘Shanzhai' culture is a challenge as well as a motivation，" said Xie.
Tian said different kinds of cultures developing together is an ideal situation and it is for the public to choose.
【小題1】The Chinese word "Shanzhai" may have its origin in      .

A．fake cell phones	B．electronic products
C．Spring Festival Gala	D．Olympics buildings

【小題2】The underlined word "imitates" is closest in meaning to       

A．steals

B．copies

C．a(chǎn)dvertises

D．cheats

【小題3】According to the passage，"Shanzhai" culture refers to      .

A．the action that a person imitates famous people

B．a(chǎn)nything that imitates something famous

C．those similar names to famous brands

D．products with poor techniques and quality

【小題4】According to Xie Xizhang ,the mainstream culture       .

A．will be held back by "Shanzhai"culture

B．will sooner or later be replaced by "Shanzhai" culture

C．may develop faster because of the challenging of "Shanzhai" culture

D．thinks nothing of the challenge of"Shanzhai"culture

【小題5】Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．" Shanzhai" culture will definitely fade out

B．"Shanzhai" culture-the mountain village culture

C．"Shanzhai" culture-the mainstream culture

D．"Shanzhai" culture takes on life of its own

Do you like chocolate? Maybe most people do. A box of it can be a great gift. Buy one for a friend and give it as a surprise. See how happy that person gets.
Say you just got a box of chocolate. Which piece do you pick first? A man has studied people’s choices. He says they tell something about the person. Did you choose a round piece? You are a person who likes to party. Did you choose an oval (橢圓形的) shape? You are a person who likes to make things. Picking a square shape shows something else. The person is honest and truthful. You can depend on him or her.
What kind of chocolate do you pick? Maybe you like milk chocolate. This shows you have warm feelings about the past. Dark chocolate means something else. A person who chooses it looks toward the future. What about white chocolate? Would you choose it? If so, you may find it hard to make up your mind. Some people like chocolate with nuts (果仁). These are people who like to help others.
Do you believe these ideas? Can candy tell all these things? It doesn’t really matter. There is one sure thing about eaters of chocolate. They eat it because they like it.
【小題1】This passage mainly tells us ______.

A．why people like chocolate

B．a(chǎn)lmost everyone likes chocolate

C．a(chǎn)bout different kinds of chocolate

D．different choices may show different characters

【小題2】Picking a round shape of chocolate shows that a person ______.

A．likes singing, dancing and drinking

B．likes to do something for others

C．is good at making things

D．can be depended on

【小題3】If you enjoy eating milk chocolate you may ______.

A．look forward to the future

B．like to think of the past

C．enjoy parties and fun

D．have trouble making decisions

【小題4】From this passage we can say that a helpful man may choose chocolate ______.

A．in oval shape	B．in square shape
C．with nuts	D．with coffee

【小題5】The last paragraph suggests that the writer ______.

A．believes all the information about chocolate

B．does not believe the information about candy

C．is trying to get you to believe false information

D．doesn’t think it important whether you believe the ideas

It’s cool, and it’s hot, and everyone is doing it. People talk about it often, and friends tell other friends how good they look. Sound like a fashion? It’s actually another trend(傾向): “blog”. What’s a blog? A blog is a personal online diary. The word “blogger” means a person who writes diaries online.
Many bloggers are teens who’ve been logging(進(jìn)入) onto sites to discuss anything in their lives. Many of today’s teenagers are not afraid to openly discuss everything in their lives. Teens complain(抱怨) about parents and homework. They share diaries, post songs from the latest bands and show pictures of theirs. They write their own poems, say something about their girlfriends or boyfriends and complain to each other or offer support. But mostly they just write down what they do every day.
However, many parents are afraid of these young bloggers. Parents see the kids talking about how they got drunk last weekend and how they don’t like studying. They are using language that is surprising to their parents. Besides hearing from their friends, teen bloggers also get message from strangers. Most of the time, it’s older men asking to meet teenage girls. “These strange men are dangerous for my kids. They sometimes teach my kids bad words, “ said Cara Cabral, a mother of two.
Many teens and young adults know it’s not safe to use blogs on the Internet. They know they are putting information about themselves in a place they can be seen by anyone. But teens are unlikely to give up these new communication tools that have becomes a way of life for many of them.
Are you a bloggers? What do you think of the blog?
【小題1】 What does the underlined word “it” mean in the first paragraph?

A．the blog	B．talking online
C．the Internet	D．the website

【小題2】A blogger is a person ___________.

A．who teaches kids bad words

B．who posts songs from the latest bands

C．who got drunk last weekend

D．who writes diaries online

【小題3】According to this passage, teen bloggers mostly __________.

A．complain about parents and homework

B．write down what they do every day

C．offer support to each other

D．share diaries and show pictures of theirs

【小題4】Parents think it’s dangerous for their kids to use blogs because ________.

A．their kids use a surprising language

B．their kids talk about how they don’t like studying

C．teen bloggers got messages from strangers

D．their kids talk about their girlfriends or boyfriends

【小題5】 Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Many teens know it’s not safe to use the blog on the Internet.

B．Most of today’s teenagers aren’t afraid to openly discuss everything in their lives.

C．A blogger’s information about himself can be seen by anyone on the Internet.

D．It’s easy for teenagers to give up blogging.

Below is adapted from an English dictionary.

【小題1】What does the phrase “green shoots” mean in “Green shoots have begun to appear in different markets”?

A．Change in policy.	B．High prices.
C．Environmental protection.	D．Signs of recovery.

【小題2】Fill in the blank in the sentence “I can’t believe this is Joshua —he’s ________ since we last met!”

A．shot out

B．shot up

C．shot through

D．shot down

【小題3】When you are talking about unimportant things, we say you are ________.

A．shooting the breeze	B．shooting yourself in the foot
C．shooting your mouth off	D．shooting questions at somebody

【小題4】Choose a word to complete the sentence “The ________, which killed a policeman and wounded a passer-by, was reported to have lasted only 13 seconds.”

A．shooter

B．shoot

C．shooting

D．shot

Peter Rabbit is a character in various children’s stories written by Beatrix Potter(1866-1943). Peter Rabbit made his first appearance in 1902 in The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Peter doesn’t obey his mother’s orders and goes away.  Mr.McGregor spots him and runs after him. Peter manages to escape, but not before losing his jacket and shoes, which Mr.McGregor uses to dress a scarecrow(稻草人). Peter returns home tired and ill.
In the Tale of Benjamin Bunny, first published in 1904, Peter’s cousin Benjamin Bunny brings him back to Mr.McGregor’s garden and they get back the clothes Peter lost in The Tale of Peter Rabbit. But after they gather onions to give to Peter’s mother, they are caught by Mr.McGregor’s cat. Benjamin’s father arrives and rescues them, but also blames Peter and Benjamin for going into the garden. In this tale, Peter displays fear about returning to the garden.
In the The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, first published in 1909, Peter has a small role and appears only briefly. He is grown up and his sister Flopsy is now married to Benjamin Bunny. The two are the parents of six little Flopsy-Bunnies. Peter and his mother keep a nursery garden and the bunnies come by asking him for spare cabbage.
In the Tale of Mr. Tod, first published in 1912, Benjamin and Flopsy’s children are taken away by Tommy Brock. Peter helps Benjamin run after Brock, who hides out in the house of the fox Mr. Tod. Mr. Tod finds Brock sleeping in his bed and as the two get into a fight, Peter rescues the children.
Peter makes cameo appearances(客串出場(chǎng)) in two other tales. In The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, first published in 1905, Peter and Benjamin are customers of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, a hedgehog(刺猬) washerwoman. In The Tale of Ginger and Pickles, first published in 1909, Peter and other characters from Potter’s previous stories make cameo appearances.
【小題1】 In The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Peter     .

A．is caught by Mr. McGregor’s cat	B．gathers onions to give to his mother
C．runs into a scarecrow when escaping	D．loses his clothes in Mr. McGregor’s garden

【小題2】In paragraph 4, the underlined part “the two” refers to      .

A．Benjamin and Brock

B．Peter and Benjamin

C．Mr. Tod and Brock

D．Peter and Mr. Tod

【小題3】What do we know about Benjamin Bunny?

A．He’s a father of six children

B．He keeps a nursery garden with Peter

C．His mother passes away when he’s little

D．He saves Peter in The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies

【小題4】According to the passage, Peter Rabbit      .

A．hates Benjamin Bunny’s father a lot

B．a(chǎn)ppears briefly in The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle

C．was worked into a story in the early 19th century

D．plays a leading role in The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies

【小題5】The author wrote the passage to      .

A．introduce the character Peter Rabbit in Potter’s stories

B．describe the various characters in Potter’s books

C．show the influence of the Peter Rabbit series on children

D．discuss Potter’s changes in her writing styles

You can see lots of kangaroos (袋鼠) in Australia, and not only in zoos but also outside the cities and towns. You can see them everywhere. Kangaroos are very popular in Australia. They have very strong legs, so they are very good at jumping. Their tails （尾巴） are very strong, too, so when they want to have a rest, they rest on their tails. Kangaroos are also good at looking after their babies. Mother kangaroos keep their babies safe in their pockets.
【小題1】There are many kangaroos _____.

A．from Australia

B．in America

C．in Australia

D．from America

【小題2】 Where can we see kangaroos in Australia?

A．in cities

B．in towns

C．in parks

D．everywhere

【小題3】Why are kangaroos very good at jumping?

A．because they are very healthy

B．because they have strong tails

C．because they have strong legs

D．because they have big pockets

【小題4】How do kangaroos rest when they want to rest?

A．on their legs

B．on their hands

C．on their tails

D．on their back

【小題5】What are kangaroos good at doing?

A．they are good at looking after their babies

B．they are good at jumping

C．they are good at resting on their tails

D．A, B and C

America is growing older. Fifty - eight years ago, only 4 out of every 100 people in the United States were 65 or older. To day, 10 out of every 100 Americans are over 65. The aging of the population will affect（影響）American society in many ways—education, medicine, and business. Quietly, the graying of America has made us a very different society—one in which people have a quite different idea of what kind of behavior（行為） is suitable（合適）at various , ages.
　　A person s age no longer tells you anything about his/her social position, marriage or health. There’s no longer a particular year in which one goes to school or goes to work or gets married or starts a family. The social clock that kept us on time and told us when to go to school, get a job, or stop working isn’t as strong as it used to be. It doesn’t surprise us to hear of a 29 - year - old university president or a 35 - year -old grandmother, or a 70 year - old man who has become a father for the first time. Public ideas are changing.
　　Many people say, “I am much younger than my mother— or my father— was at my age. ”No one says“Act your age” any more. We’ve stopped looking with surprise at older people who act in youthful ways.
【小題1】It can be learnt from the text that the aging of the population in America ________ .

A．has made people feel younger

B．has changed people’s social position

C．has changed people’s understanding of age

D．has slowed down the country’s social development

【小題2】The underlined word “one” refers to ________ .

A．a(chǎn) society	B．America
C．a(chǎn) place	D．population

【小題3】“Act your age” means people should ________ .

A．be active when they are old

B．do the right thing at the right age

C．show respect for their parents young or old

D．take more physical exercise suitable to their age

【小題4】If a 25 - year - old man becomes general manager of a big firm, the writer of the text would most probably consider it ________ .

A．normal	B．wonderful
C．unbelievable	D．unreasonable

Homestay provides English language students with the opportunity to speak English outside the classroom and the experience of being part of a British home．
What to Expect
The host will provide accommodation and meals．Rooms will be cleaned and bedcovers changed at least once a week．You will be given the house key and the host is there to offer help and advice as well as to take an interest in your physical and mental health．
Accommodation Zones
Homestays are located in London mainly in Zones 2, 3 and 4 of the transport system．Most hosts do not live in the town centre as much of central London is commercial and not residential（居住的）．Zones 3 and 4 often offer larger accommodation in a less crowned area．It is very convenient to travel in London by underground．
Meal Plans Available
? Continental Breakfast
? Breakfast and Dinner
? Breakfast, Packed Lunch and Dinner
It’s important to note that few English families still provide a traditional cooked breakfast．Your accommodation includes Continental Breakfast which normally consists of fruit juice, cereal（谷物類食品），bread and tea or coffee．Cheese, fruit and cold meat are not normally part of a Continental Breakfast in England．Dinners usually consist of meat or fish with vegetables followed by desert, fruit and coffee．
Friends
If you wish to invite a friend over to visit, you must first ask your host’s permission．You have no right to entertain friends in a family home as some families feel it is an invasion of their privacy．
Self-Catering Accommodation in Private Homes
Accommodation on a room-only basis includes shared kitchen and bathroom facilities and often a main living room．This kind of accommodation offers an independent lifestyle and is more suitable for the long-stay student．However, it does not provide the same family atmosphere as an ordinary homestay and may not benefit those who need to practice English at home quite as much．
【小題1】The passage is probably written for___________．

A．host willing to receive foreign students

B．foreigners hoping to build British culture

C．travelers planning to visit families in London

D．English learners applying to live in English homes

【小題2】Which of the following will the host provide?

A．Room cleaning．	B．Medical care．
C．Free transport．	D．Physical training．

【小題3】What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?

A．Zone 4 is more crowded than Zone 2．

B．The business centre of London is in Zone 1．

C．Hosts dislike travelling to the city centre．

D．Accommodation in the city centre is not provided．

【小題4】According to the passage．What does continental Breakfast include?

A．Dessert and coffee

B．Fruit and vegetables．

C．Bread and fruit juice

D．Cereal and cold meat．

【小題5】Why do some people choose self-catering accommodation?

A．To experience a warmer family atmosphere．

B．To enrich their knowledge of English．

C．To entertain friends as they like．

D．To enjoy much more freedom．

As we all know, language is always changing. In a society where life continues year after year with few changes, the language does not change either. The earliest known languages had difficult grammar but a small, limited vocabulary. Over the century, the grammar changed, and the vocabulary grew. For example, the English and Spanish people who came to America during the sixteenth century gave names to all the new plants and animals they found. In this way, hundreds of new words were introduced into English and Spanish vocabularies. Today life is changing very fast, and language is changing fast too.
There are several major(主要) language families in the world. Some scientists say there are nine main families, but other scientists divide them differently. The languages in each family are connected, and scientists think that they came from the same parent language. About 3 percent of the people in the world speak languages that are not in these major families.
【小題1】The early language had ________.

A．a(chǎn) lot of problems

B．words and easy grammar

C．words but no grammar

D．grammar but not many words

【小題2】In the next few hundred years we can expect language to _____.

A．stay exactly the same

B．change a great deal

C．change only a little

D．a(chǎn)sk more words and drop some grammar

【小題3】What this article shows is that _____.

A．languages change fast

B．languages really don't want to change

C．language really with changes in society

D．Spanish and English change