Runners in a relay race pass a stick in one direction. However, merchants passed silk, gold, fruit, and glass along the Silk Road in more than one direction. They earned their living by traveling the famous Silk Road.
The Silk Road was not a simple trading network. It passed through thousands of cities and towns. It started from eastern China, across Central Asia and the Middle East, and ended in the Mediterranean Sea. It was used from about 200 BC to about 1300 AD, when sea travel offered new routes. It was sometimes called the world’s longest highway.
However, the Silk Road was made up of many routes, not one smooth path. They passed through what are now 18 countries. The routes crossed mountains and deserts and had many dangers of hot sun, deep snow and even battles. Only experienced traders could return safe.
The Silk Road got its name from its most prized product. Silk could be used like money to pay taxes or buy goods. But the traders carried more than just silk. Gold, silver, and glass from Europe were much found in the Middle East and Asia. Horses traded from other areas changed farming practices in China. Indian merchants traded salt and other valuable goods. Chinese merchants traded paper, which produced an immediate effect on the West. Apples traveled from central Asia to Rome. The Chinese had learned to graft (嫁接) different trees together to make new kinds of fruit.
They passed this science on to others, including the Romans. The Romans used grafting to grow the apple. Trading along the Silk Road led to world-wide business 2,000 years before the World Wide Web.
The people along the Silk Road did not share just goods. They also shared their beliefs. The Silk Road provided pathways for learning, diplomacy, and religion.
【小題1】It’s probable that traders along the Silk Road needed ______.

A．to deal with a lot of difficulties	B．to know the making of products
C．to receive certain special training	D．to remember the entire trade route

【小題2】The Silk Road became less important because ______.

A．it was made up of different routes	B．silk trading became less popular
C．people needed fewer foreign goods	D．sea travel provided easier routes

【小題3】New technologies could travel along the Silk Road because people ______.

A．shared each other’s beliefs	B．learned from one another
C．traded goods along the route	D．earned their living by traveling

【小題4】What is the best title for the passage?

A．The Silk Road: Past and Present	B．The Silk Road: East Meets West
C．The Silk Road: Routes Full of Dangers	D．The Silk Road: Pathways for Learning

Wugging, or web-use giving, describes the act of giving to charity at no cost to the user. By using Everyclick.com, which is being added to a number of university computers across the UK, students can raise money every time they search, but it won’t cost them a penny.
Research shows that students are extremely passionate about supporting charity — 88% of full time students have used the Internet to give to charity. This figure is high considering this age group is often the least likely to have their own income. 19% of 22 to 24 year olds have short-term debts of more than £5,000. With rising personal debt levels in this age group, due to university tuition fees or personal loans and a lack of long-term savings, traditional methods of donating to charity are often not appealing or possible.
Beth Truman, a 21 year old recent university graduate, has used everyclick.com to donate to her chosen charity, the RSPCA, for two years and has seen the “wugging” grow in popularity with students. “When you’re at university you become more socially aware, but it’s sometimes hard to give to others when you have little money yourself,” says Beth. “Wugging is great for people in this age group as it allows them to use the technology on a daily basis to give to charity, without costing them a single penny.”
Wugging is perfect for people who want to be more socially aware and supportive but don’t feel they have the means to do so. Students using the web can raise money for causes they care about without costing them anything in terms of time or money, and charities get a valuable source of funding.
Everyclick.com works like any other search engine, allowing users to search for information, news and images but users can decide which of the UK’s 170,000 charities they would like to support through their clicks. Everyclick.com then makes monthly payments to every registered charity. Launched in June 2005, Everyclick.com is now the eighth largest search engine and one of the busiest charity websites in the UK.
【小題1】According to the passage, “wugging” is actually _______.

A．a(chǎn) student movement	B．a(chǎn) charity-related action
C．a(chǎn) school organization	D．a(chǎn) website

【小題2】In the case of charity, everyclick.com _______.

A．frees students of the financial worries

B．receives much money from students

C．offers valuable information to students

D．praises students for their money-raising

【小題3】What does Beth Truman think of the “wugging” movement?

A．It makes Everyclick.com popular in the UK.

B．It becomes easy to do charity because of it.

C．It results in students’ more social awareness.

D．It helps students to save money.

【小題4】From the passage, we can conclude that _______.

A．most full time students do charity on the Internet every day

B．Everyclick.com helps students pay for the college education

C．“wugging” is a win-win idea for both students and charities

D．Everyclick.com is the most successful search engine in the UK

GAOMI,  Shandong,  Oct．11（ Xinhua）—Chinese writer Mo Yan said last Thursday that he was "very surprised" at winning the Nobel Literature Prize．
Speaking  to reporters at a hotel in his hometown Gaomi city in east China's Shandong Province, Mo said, " （I was）very surprised upon winning the prize because I felt I was not very senior in terms of qualification （ among Chinese writers）．There are many good writers and my ranking was not so high．"
"I am very happy," he saiD."I was having dinner when I received the news．I was surprised．”
"Thank you for coming all the way to Gaomi．This should be a season of red sorghum, but no such crop is planted any more．  I believe none of you have seen the crop," he said．
"The Nobel Literature Prize is a very important literature prize, but not the top awarD.It represents the opinions of the jury（評審團(tuán) ）．I am satisfied with my major works and I still keep writing by hand．My works are Chinese literature, which is part of world literature．They show the life of Chinese people as well as the country's unique culture and folk customs．Meanwhile, my novels described human beings in the broad sense．I wrote in the perspective of a human being．These works stand beyond regions and ethnic groups," he said．
"The folk arts and folk culture accompanied my growth and I was influenced by the cultural elements I witnessed through my childhood．When I picked up the pen for literature creation, the folk cultural elements inevitably entered my novels and affected and even determined the artistic styles of my works," he added．
Mo's win brought joy to other writers and readers throughout the country as he is the first Chinese national to win the Nobel Literature Prize in its century-long history．
Born into a farmer's family in a village in Gaomi, Mo has been known since the late 1980s for his novels such as Big Breasts and Wide Hips and Red Sorghum（紅高粱）, which was later adapted into a film by director Zhang Yimou．
【小題1】Mo Yan was surprised at winning the Nobel Prize because he felt________.

A．he was not as famous as other writers

B．he was not the best writer in China

C．he was born in a farmer's family

D．he didn't have good education

【小題2】According to Mo Yan,             .

A．red sorghum should be planted in his hometown

B．the Nobel Prize represents the opinions of the public

C．he still keeps the habit of writing by hand

D．his novels described human beings of all regions

【小題3】By reading Mo Yan's works, we can               .

A．increase our sense of national pride

B．learn a lot about the Chinese folk culture

C．form a vivid picture of his childhood

D．learn more about the history of the Nobel Prize

【小題4】Which of the following words can best describe Mo Yan?

A．modest

B．self--confident

C．humorous

D．romantic

【小題5】Where might you find the article?

A．In a novel．	B．In a travel book
C．In a newspaper．	D．In a student book

Chinese writer Mo Yan has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, announced the Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday. The win makes Mo Yan the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel in its 111-year history. Informed of his win today, the author, who was having dinner at home, was “overjoyed and scared”.
Born in 1955 to parents who were farmers, Mo Yan — a pen name for Guan Moye, grew up in Gaomi, Shandong province in eastern China. At the age of 12, he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory. In 1976 he joined the army and during this time began to study literature and writing.
He published his first book in 1981, but found literary success in 1987 with Hong Gaoliang Jiazu, which was successfully filmed in the same year, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth and his works show the life of Chinese people as well as the country’s unique culture and folk customs. Mo Yan is known as a productive writer. In addition to his novels, he has published many short stories and essays on various topics. Despite his social criticism, he is seen in his homeland as one of the most famous contemporary authors. Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French, Japanese and many other languages.
The awarding ceremony will be held on December 10. The winner will win a medal, a personal diploma and a cash award of about $1 million.
【小題1】How did Mo Yan feel when he was told about the news?

A．Excited and proud.	B．Worried and cautious.
C．Happy and surprised.	D．Uncertain and shocked.

【小題2】One of Mo Yan’s characteristics of writing is that he ________.

A．writes about topics he is familiar with

B．focuses on social problems in the country

C．describes his characters in a unique way

D．explains difficult matters in simple words

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

A．How Mo Yan Gets Nobel Prize

B．An Introduction to Nobel Prize

C．Mo Yan Wins Nobel Prize in Literature

D．A World Famous Writer, Mo Yan

Sports News of the Week
Bolt gains 100m title again in Moscow

Last updated: Monday, Aug-12-2013, 08:54
USAIN BOLT of Jamaica won the men's 100 meters final during the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Moscow on Sunday．
Usain Bolt was made to look human by a combination of a Russian rainstorm and a fired-up Justin Gatlin on Sunday but the Jamaican superstar was still good enough to regain his world 100 meters title in a surging 9．77 seconds．
With former world and Olympic champion and twice-banned doper Gatlin leading at halfway, Bolt was forced to race a rival, rather than the clock．
Jason Dufner wins PGA Championship

Last Updated: Monday, August 12, 2013, 10:38
Jason Dufner won his first major title at the 95th PGA Championship, the top U．S． golf competition, seizing an early lead on Sunday at Oak Hill, Texas and holding on for victory despite a bogey-bogey finish．

The 36-year-old American, who squandered a four-shot lead with four holes to play in losing the 2011 PGA Championship, fired a final-round two-under par 68 to finish on 10-under par 270 for 72 holes．
Isinbaeva leads harvest day for host Russia at Moscow worlds

Last updated: Wednesday, August 14, 2013, 10:35
Russia's "pole vault queen" Elena Isinbaeva ignited the Luzhniki stadium as she claimed her third world title on the fourth day of the 2013 IAAF World
Championships here on Tuesday, which saw host Russia harvested two gold and one silver medals in seven finals.
Ireland's Heffernan wins world walk title at 35 Last Updated: Wednesday, August 14,2013,15:15
Ireland's Robert Heffernan won the world championship 50km walk title on Wednesday as the 35-year-old finally tasted glory after 13 years of heartbreak and near-misses．
Heffernan, fourth in the 2012 Olympic 50km and fourth in both walks at last year's European championships, broke clear of Mikhail Ryzhov after 35km to deny Russia a clean sweep of the walks after they took gold in both 20km events earlier in the week．
【小題1】When did Bolt regain the men's 100 meters final?

A．August 11．

B．August 12．

C．August 13．

D．August 14．

【小題2】Where is the PGA held?

A．Jamaica．

B．Russia．

C．America．

D．Ireland．

【小題3】______ won the world championship at last after trying hard for 13 years．

A．Jason

B．Bolt

C．Isinbaeva

D．Heffernan

Three astronauts returned to Earth safely on Wednesday after a successful 15-day mission （任務(wù)）, marking another step forward towards the country’s goal of building a manned space station by 2020.
Zhang Youxia, commander-in-chief of China’s manned space program, said the Shenzhou X mission was a “complete success”.
The Shenzhou X landed safely in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at about 8:07 a.m. on June 26, 2013. All three astronauts were in good physical condition.
Nie Haisheng, commander of the Shenzhou X crew and a second-time space traveler, was the first to get out of the bowl-like module（艙）, followed by Wang Yaping, the only female astronaut of the mission, and Zhang Xiaoguang. During a brief welcoming ceremony held at the landing area, the astronauts waved happily to a crowd consisting of officers, the search and recovery team, and health personnel.
“It feels really good to be back home,” said astronaut Nie Haisheng.
“We are dreamers, and we have now realized our dream,” said Zhang Xiaoguang. “Our space dream knows no limit, and our hard work will never stop,” he said.
Compared with its previous mission Shenzhou IX last year, the Shenzhou X is no longer experimental but considered an applicable shuttle（航天飛機(jī)）system for sending astronauts and supplies to orbiting modules. The mission aims to further test technologies designed for docking（對接）and supporting astronauts’ stay in space, as well as to use new technologies related to the construction of a space station.
In its 15-day journey in space, Shenzhou X docked with the orbiting space lab Tiangong-1 twice, once through automatic operation and the other manual（手控的）.The Tiangong-1 space lab has been in orbit for more than 600 days. It’s designed to work for two years. The module is considered the first step in building a permanent space station in the future. And the astronauts spent 12 days in Tiangong-1, where they conducted space medical experiments, technical tests and gave a science lesson to students on Earth on June 19 about basic physics principles. The lecture was the second video class sent from space, with US astronaut Barbara Morgan’s 25-minute class being the first in 2007.
China is the third country after the United States and Russia to acquire the technologies and skills necessary for space rendezvous（交會）and docking procedures, as well as supply manpower and material for an orbiting module via different docking methods.
Previous docking procedures conducted between Shenzhou-type spacecraft and the orbiting space lab included two automated dockings by the unmanned Shenzhou-8 in 2011 and both an automated and manual docking by the manned Shenzhou-9 in 2012.
Since its first manned space space mission in 2003, China has sent ten astronauts and six spacecrafts into the space.
【小題1】According to the passage, the Shenzhou X ________.

A．was sent into space on June 11, 2013

B．is still an experimental shuttle system

C．sent many supplies to the manned space station

D．returned to Earth safely on the afternoon of June 26

【小題2】China sent the Shenzhou X into space to ________.

A．learn how to make use of a manned space station

B．prove the importance of the manned space program

C．experiment on how to make astronauts stay in space safely

D．test new technologies for the construction of a space station

【小題3】 We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．Nie Haisheng is the only male astronaut of the mission

B．The Tiangong-1 space lab was founded in 2012

C．China is the second country to give a space class

D．the Tiangong-1 was mainly designed to serve Shenzhou X

【小題4】What is the best title for the passage?

A．China Prepares for Next Manned Mission

B．Shenzhou X Spacecraft Mission Is a Success

C．China’s Shenzhou X Is Now in Space

D．Astronauts of Shenzhou X Mission Are Meeting Media

An alcohol breath test (ABT) is often used by the police to find out whether a person is drunk while driving. In the United States, the legal blood alcohol limit is 0.08% for people aged 21 years or older, while people under 21 are not allowed to drive a car with any level of alcohol in their body. A “positive” test result, a result over the legal limit, allows the police to arrest the driver. However, many people who tested positive on the test have claimed that they only drank a “non-alcoholic” energy drink. Can one of these energy drinks really cause someone to test positive on an ABT? Researchers in Missouri set up an experiment to find out.
First, the amount of alcohol in 27 different popular energy drinks was measured. All but one had an alcohol level greater than 0.005%. In nine of the 27 drinks, the alcohol level was at least 0.096%.The scientists then investigated the possibility that these small levels of alcohol could be discovered by an ABT. They asked test subjects to drink a full can or bottle of an energy drink and then gave each subject an ABT one minute and 15 minutes after the drink was finished.
For 11 of the 27energy drinks, the ABT did find the presence of alcohol if the test was given within one minute after the drink was taken. However, alcohol could not be discovered for any of the drinks if the test was given 15 minutes after the drink was consumed. This shows that when the test is taken plays an important role in the test result. The sooner the test is conducted after the consumption of these drinks, the more likely a positive alcohol reading will be obtained.
【小題1】What is the legal alcohol level for a 20-year-old driver in the US?

A．0.000%.

B．0.005%.

C．0.080%.

D．0.096%.

【小題2】What is the purpose of the Missouri experiment?

A．To warn people of the dangers of drinking energy drinks.

B．To introduce a new method of calculating blood alcohol levels.

C．To discover the relation between energy drinks and ABT test results.

D．To change the current legal alcohol limit for drivers in the United States.

【小題3】The underlined word “subjects” in Paragraph 2 refers to_____.

A．the things that are being discussed

B．a(chǎn)reas of knowledge studied in school

C．the person in an experiment

D．the people who belong to a country

【小題4】Which of the following affects the ABT test result most for energy drink consumers?

A．The age of the person who takes the test.

B．The place where the test is given.

C．The equipment that the test uses.

D．The time when the test is taken.

Nearly a thousand people laugh heartily together for half an hour every morning in a park in Shenzhen. Guangzhou Daily took a closer look at those happy people.
They are members of a group named Laughing Club, and when they get together, all they do is laugh.
Zhang Lixin, the founder of the club and regarded as the ‘laugh leader’, told the paper that laughing does him a lot of good. He started after he read some advice in a book and tried giggling after quarrelling with his wife to relax.
After laughing for a few days, Zhang found himself more outgoing and relaxed. Soon his wife joined him, bringing the family more laughter and less bickering.
When he got to know a kind of “l(fā)aughing yoga” is good for the health, Zhang went to Bombay to learn from the locals and developed what he learned into more than 30 ways of laughing.
The “l(fā)ion bellow (吼)”is to shout with the fingers outstretched near the ears. There is the “open mouth laugh”, the “bow-pulling laugh”, the “welcoming laugh” and even the “quarrelling laugh”, with different arm movements of laugh style.
The “l(fā)augh movement” swept over Shenzhen in a few of months, attracting tens of thousands of people to join, and has been followed in nearby cities such as Guangzhou.
Every morning at the lake front and at 8 pm on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at the mountain peak square in Lianhua Mountain Park, club members gather to laugh and shout loudly.
【小題1】From the first paragraph we know that _________________________.

A．Guangzhou Daily is the source of the information

B．those happy people come from Guangzhou Daily

C．there is a Guangzhou Daily office near Laughing Club

D．Guangzhou Daily supported the laugh movement

【小題2】The people in Laughing Club laugh because they _____________________.

A．live a happy life	B．a(chǎn)lways feel happy
C．just can’t help it	D．want to relax themselves

【小題3】 Which of the underlined words has a meaning similar to “l(fā)aughing”?

A．Giggling.

B．Quarrelling.

C．Outgoing.

D．Bickering.

【小題4】According to the passage, when cannot you see club members practicing laughing in Lianhua Mountain Park?

A．At 8 pm on Sunday.	B．At 8 pm on Monday.
C．At 8 pm on Friday.	D．At 8 pm on Wednesday.

【小題5】What’s the idea expressed by the last two paragraphs?

A．The members of Laughing Club are increasing.

B．The laugh movement is becoming popular.

C．The laughing is done only in parks.

D．Laughing Club is practicing laughing hard.

The British usually expect one or two snowfalls each year but the amount of snow rarely affects everyday life. However, this week Britain has had the worst snow it has seen in around 18 years. Some places had more than 30cm in a day.
The bad weather caused a lot of trouble. More than 3000 schools had to close as teachers and pupils were unable to get to school. School children weren’t too unhappy about it, though, as they headed out to play in the snow: building snowmen; having snowball fights; and some even snowboarding and skiing.
In London, bus services were withdrawn for a day and tubes and trains were cancelled. Major motorways in the country had to close. Many people were unable to get to work and it is thought the cost of this lost labor is around￡1 billion to businesses and the economy.
Anyone wanting to leave the country had problems too. Runways were closed at all the UK’s major airports because of the snow. Hundreds of flights were cancelled leaving many passengers stranded at airports.
So why is the UK so ill-prepared for snow? The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, explained that there aren’t enough snow-ploughs and other equipment and it doesn’t make sense to buy such equipment when it snows so infrequently.
The south-east of England was the hardest hit at the beginning of the week but the snow is now moving northwards where the chaos continues. More ice and snow is forecast throughout the week and the advice from travel and weather organizations is to stay indoors unless you really need to venture out!
【小題1】The bad weather caused the following troubles except

A．school children headed out, playing in the snow

B．more than 3000 schools had been closed

C．bus services were withdrawn in London

D．hundreds of flights were cancelled

【小題2】 The underlined word “stranded” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _____________.

A．hungry

B．sleepy

C．trapped

D．excited

【小題3】We can infer from the passage that ____________________.

A．few people will travel around in the future days

B．heavy snow will hit Britain more frequently in the future

C．only school children benefit from the heavy snow

D．employees are glad to be free because of the snow

【小題4】From what Boris Johnson said we can learn that _________________________.

A．the UK will always be ill-prepared for heavy snow

B．the snow now moving northwards will cause no trouble

C．London can’t afford to buy snow-ploughs and other equipments

D．London doesn’t have enough snow-ploughs and other equipments

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

A．Hardest snow hit south-east of England.

B．Heavy snow caused chaos in Britain.

C．Unexpected snowfall, pleasant time for children.

D．Great loss to businesses and the economy in Britain.