Many Americans are turning to Japan, they think, a country of high academic achievement and economic success, for possible answers．However, the answers provided by Japanese preschools are not the ones Americans expected to find．In most Japanese preschools, surprisingly little emphasis is put on academic instruction．In one survey, 300 Japanese and 210 American preschool teachers, child development specialists, and parents were asked about various aspects of early childhood education．Only 2 percent of the Japanese respondents(答问卷者)listed“to give children a good start academically”as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools．In contrast, over half the American respondents chose this as one of their top three choices．To prepare children for successful careers in first grade and beyond, Japanese schools do not teach reading, writing, and mathematics, but rather skills such as determination, concentration, and the ability to work as a member of a group．The huge majority of young Japanese children are taught to read at home by their parents．
Like in America, there is diversity(多样性)in Japanese early childhood education．Some Japanese kindergartens have specific aims, such as early musical training or potential development．In large cities, some kindergartens are attached to universities that have elementary and secondary schools．Some Japanese parents believe that if their young children attend a university-based program, it will increase the children's chances of eventually being admitted to top-rated schools and universities．Several more progressive programs have introduced free play as a way out for the heavy intellectualizing in some Japanese kindergartens．
(1)
We learn from the first paragraph that many Americans believe ________．
[ ]
A．
Japanese parents are more involved in preschool education than American parents
B．
Japan's economic success is a result of its scientific achievements
C．
Japanese preschool education emphasizes academic instruction
D．
Japan's higher education is superior to theirs
(2)
In Japan's preschool education, the focus is on ________．
[ ]
A．
preparing children academically
B．
developing children's artistic interests
C．
developing children's potential
D．
shaping children's character
(3)
Why do some Japanese parents send their children to university-based kindergartens?
[ ]
A．
They can have better chances of getting a first-rate education．
B．
They can make more group experience grow there．
C．
They can be individually oriented when they grow up．
D．
They can do better in their future studies．
(4)
Free play has been introduced in some Japanese kindergartens in order to ________．
[ ]
A．
broaden children's knowledge
B．
lighten children's study load
C．
train children's creativity
D．
enrich children's experience
(5)
Which of the following statements is true?
[ ]
A．
Most of the Japanese preschools pay much attention to academic instructions．
B．
Very few Japanese respondents don't agree to give children a start academically．
C．
In Japan it is common for parents to teach their children at home．
D．
American respondents don't agree to give children a start academically．
In April 2004 local farmer Ma Yun was taking a walk on a hillside near Lingwu, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region when he saw several “brown stones”．Two years later scientists have found that these “stones” are, in fact, the priceless fossils of eight giant dinosaurs．They are thought to be the largest ever found in Asia．
We know that these animals walked the earth in the Jurassic period, around 160 million years ago．According to scientists, these plant-eating dinosaurs weighed 100 tons and had before only been found in Africa and South America．How did one end up on a Chinese hillside? The answer lies in continental drift, says Professor Xu Xing, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences．
According to this theory, the earth began as a solid mass of land．Pieces of the land went their separate ways over the course of the following millions of years．That’s why the discovery of these dinosaurs today is far away from their original home．
A complete dinosaur fossil has also been unearthed in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region．
The digging is being televised nationwide by China Central Television．It is the first time a dinosaur fossil excavation has been shown live in China．
How is a fossil formed?
①The dinosaur died．The flesh rotted and left hard parts like the bones and teeth．
②The body was quickly covered by sand and mud．
③After a long time, water put minerals into the bones and replaced the chemicals in the bones with rock-like minerals．
④This process left a rock-like copy of the original animal-a fossil．
(1)
Which of the following best describes the main point of the passage?
[ ]
A．
Dinosaur fossils were discovered in Ningxia and Xinjiang．
B．
Dinosaur’s original home is Africa and South America．
C．
The dinosaur fossil formed 160 million years ago．
D．
The continental drift resulted in the disappearance of dinosaurs．
(2)
Choose the right order of the fossil formation：
a．Sand covered the dead body．
b．The bones and teeth became things just like stones．
c．Dinosaur died．
d．The flesh went rotten．
e．Minerals got into the bones．
[ ]
A．
c, e, a, e, b．
B．
c, a, d, e, b
C．
c, e, d, a, b．
D．
c, a, b, d, e
(3)
The underlined phrase “lie in” has the same meaning with ________．
[ ]
A．
Paris lies in France．
B．
The fault lies in your carelessness．
C．
The whole city lay in ruins after the earthquake．
D．
His hat and gloves were lying in the drawer．
(4)
Which of the following words dose not mean the same as others?
[ ]
A．
being unearthed
B．
excavation
C．
digging
D．
discovery
阅读理解
The name of Macau comes from the word Magao(A-Ma Temple), which were shrines(圣地)dedicated to Mazu, a holy sea goddess worshiped by Macau people．It was said that when the Portuguese people first came here in the middle of sixteenth century, one of the officers asked a fisherman the name of the land．The man misunderstood the officer’s question, and answered“Magao”－the name of A-Ma Temple in front them．
Many people wonder how Macau is spelled．Is it“Macao”or“Macau”?Both are actually correct．Macao is Portuguese, and this is the official spelling backed by Macau SAR Government．Macau is English, that’s how they spell it in the U．S．and other parts of the world．However, most publications use“Macau”as the preferred spelling．
Members of the Southern Song Dynasty and some 50,000 followers were the first recorded inhabitants(居民)of the area, seeking shelter in Macau from invading Mongols in 1277．They were able to defend their settlements and establish themselves there．
The Hoklo Boat people were the first to show commercial interest in Macau as a trading center for the southern provinces．During the Ming Dynasty(1368－1643), fishermen migrated to Macau from various parts of Guangdong and Fujian provinces and built the A-Ma Temple in which they prayed for safety on the sea．
Chinese fishermen have been living and working in the Pearl River Delta for more than four thousand years．The small peninsula and islands that came to be called Macau were first settled by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century．
In 1998, Chinese(Cantonese)was given official status and the same legal power as Portuguese, the official language．The Chinese government assumed sovereignty over Macau on December 20, 1999, ending 329 years of Portuguese rule．
(1)
We can learn from the text that the name“Macau”________．
[ ]
A．
is named after a sea goddess
B．
is first called by the Portuguese
C．
is only used in publications
D．
is given by a fisherman
(2)
Which is the correct order of the things that happened in Macau?
a．Portuguese people first came to Macau．
b．The fishermen of Guangdong and Fujian migrated to Macau．
c．The first recorded inhabitants established themselves in Macau．
d．the A-Ma Temple was built in Macau．
[ ]
A．
c, b, d, a
B．
d, c, b, a
C．
b, c, a, d
D．
a, c, b, d
(3)
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
[ ]
A．
Both Chinese and Portuguese are official languages in Macau．
B．
The A-Ma Temple was built in honour of a holy sea goddess．
C．
The inhabitants in Macau mainly made their living by fishing before the 16th century．
D．
Macau didn’t belong to China until December 20, 1999．
(4)
Members of the Southern Song Dynasty went to Macau in order to ________．
[ ]
A．
show commercial interest in Macau
B．
find a good place for fishing
C．
get away from their enemies
D．
establish Macau SAR there
阅读理解
Crosstalk(相声), a traditional form of comic storytelling, is making a comeback in China's tea houses and theaters．
Audiences can laugh the night away every Saturday at the Qianxiangyi Teahouse in Tianjin, entertained by the apprentices(学徒)of Hou Baolin, Ma Sanli or Yin Shoushan－all leading crosstalk artists of years past－for only 20 yuan(＄2.40)．
The success in Tianjin has also caused the rejuvenation(复活)of crosstalk in Beijing and other places．
Although the art form originated in Beijing in the Qing Dynasty(1644－1911), Tianjin became a place where rising stars formed their styles and new pieces were tried out．The city was well－known nationwide for the quality of its crosstalk performances．
Known in Chinese as xiangsheng(literally,“face and voice”), crosstalk was the predominant(支配的)form of comedy throughout most of the 20th century．In the old days in Tianjin and elsewhere, temple fairs and markets were the main places for crosstalkers to perform, although they occasionally also appeared in teahouses or theaters．
Crosstalk pieces draw on every aspect of Chinese culture, from history and folk tales to social issues of the time．Although there're hundreds of traditional pieces, they're constantly rewritten to suit the times and the audience, while new works are written as well．It's one of the features that have made crosstalk a public art form throughout its history．
“Crosstalk was in the doldrums(萎靡不振)with competition from other art forms, especially TV,”said Wang Xiaochun, headmaster of the Northern Storytelling Arts School of China(NSAS)．“But it has regained its status with crosstalk fans, especially young people, growing aware of its rare qualities．”
“More and more students are coming to NSAS to study crosstalk, including some girl students,”said Wang,“They're sure that crosstalk will have a strong market．”
(1)
Crosstalk means“________”in Chinese．
[ ]
A．
storytelling
B．
face and voice
C．
folk tale
D．
dialogue
(2)
According to the text, crosstalk is so popular throughout its history because ________．
[ ]
A．
it is constantly changed and renewed
B．
it is often performed at temple fairs
C．
it is different from other arts
D．
it is comic and humourous
(3)
Crosstalk makes a comeback mainly because ________．
[ ]
A．
it is a popular traditional art after all
B．
the pieces contain some famous folk tales
C．
the crosstalkers make it return to teahouses
D．
the pieces are made to suit the times and the audience
(4)
We can learn that the future of crosstalk first lies in ________．
[ ]
A．
setting up more storytelling art schools
B．
beating TV and other arts
C．
young people's awareness of its value
D．
a strong market
阅读理解
Happy birthday
The China National Opera(CNO)will give a concert to celebrate its 50th birthday．
Different generations of CNO vocalists, like Li Guangxi, Yao Hong and Ma Mei, will present the concert which will feature both songs from famous Chinese operas like “The White-haired Girl” and “The Hundredth Bride”, as well as, arias of such Western opera classics as “Madame Butterfly”, “La Traviata” and “Rigoletto”．
Time/date：7∶30 pm, September 7, 8
Location：Tianqiao Theatre
Tel：6551-4787, 8315-6170
Tickets：60－500 yuan(US ＄7.2－60.2)
Folk music
A concert will be held to feature some recently composed traditional Chinese music works．
The concert, given by the Folk Orchestra of the China Opera and Ballet Theatre, will include such pieces as “Memory of Childhood ”, “Memorial Ceremony for God ”and “Wine Song”．
Time/date：7∶30pm, September 13
Location：Concert hall at the National Library of China
Tel：6848 –5462, 6841-9220
Tickets：30-200 yuan(US＄3.6-24.1)
Moon music
A concert of traditional Chinese music will be given on the eve of the Moon Festival which falls on September 21st this year．
The concert will feature a number of famous pieces centred on the theme of the moon, such as “Moonlight”, “Spring night on a Moonlit River” and “Lofty Mountain and Flowing River．”
A number of established traditional Chinese music performers like Zhou Yaokun and Fan Weiqing, will play solos as well as collaborate with the folk music orchestra．
Time/date：7∶30 pm, September 21st
Location：Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities
Tel：6606-8888, 6606-9999
(1)
If you want to buy tickets for listening to the music “Memory of Childhood”, you will dial _________．
[ ]
A．
6551-4787
B．
6848-5462
C．
8315-6170
D．
6606-9999
(2)
Which statement is right according to the passage?
[ ]
A．
Li Guangxi, Yao Hong and Ma Mei stand for the same generation of CNO vocalists．
B．
“Rigoletto” is a famous piece on the theme of the moon．
C．
“Lofty Mountain and Flowing River” is a traditional Chinese music．
D．
Zhou Yaokun will play solos and Fan Weiqing will collaborate with the folk music orchestra．
(3)
“Madame Butterfly” is ________．
[ ]
A．
a Chinese opera
B．
a Western opera
C．
a piece of music
D．
a song
(4)
In which column of a newspaper will the article be published?
[ ]
A．
Entertainment．
B．
People．
C．
Culture．
D．
Sports．
阅读理解
Crosstalk, a traditional form of comic storytelling, is making a comeback in China's teahouses and theaters．Audiences can laugh the night away every Saturday at the Qianxiangyi Teahouse in Tianjin, entertained by the apprentices(学徒)of Hou Baolin, Ma Sanli or Yin Shoushan－all leading crosstalk artists of years past－for only 20 yuan(US＄2.40)．The success in Tianjin has also given motivation to the rejuvenation(复活)of crosstalk in Beijing and other places．
Although the art form originated in Beijing in the Qing Dynasty(1644–1911), Tianjin became a place where rising stars developed their styles and new pieces were tried out．The city was famous for the quality of its crosstalk performances．
“We only want to bring the traditional pieces back to the audiences, helping them to learn their charms and definitions,” said Yin Xiaosheng, head of the Zhongyou Arts Troupe．
Known in Chinese as xiangsheng(literally, "face and voice"), crosstalk was the main form of comedy throughout most of the 20th century．In the old days in Tianjin and elsewhere, temple fairs and markets were the main places for crosstalkers to perform, although they occasionally also appeared in teahouses or theaters．
Usually crosstalk pieces draw on every aspect of Chinese culture, from history and folk tales to contemporary social issues．Although there are hundreds of pieces in the traditional works, they are constantly rewritten to suit the times and the audience, while new works are written as well．This is one of the features that have made crosstalk a populist(平民化)art form throughout its history．
“Crosstalk was in the doldrums with competition from other art forms, especially TV,” said Wang Xiaochun, headmaster of the Northern Storytelling Arts School of China(NSAS)．“But it has regained its status with crosstalk fans, especially young people, growing aware of its rare qualities．” The reawakening of interest in the traditional art is going beyond merely watching and listening for many．“More and more students are coming to NSAS to study crosstalk, including some girl students,” said Wang, “They are sure that crosstalk will have a strong market．”
(1)
From the passage, we can know the crosstalk originates(源于)from ________．
[ ]
A．
the TV shows
B．
the teahouse and theater
C．
the cinema
D．
the temple fairs and markets
(2)
Crosstalk makes a comeback mainly because ________．
[ ]
A．
it is one of the most popular traditional art forms
B．
the pieces mainly cover folk tales and social issues
C．
the pieces are changing with times and audience
D．
it is performed by some leading crosstalk artists
(3)
Which is the meaning of the underlined word “doldrums”(in the last paragraph)?
[ ]
A．
depression
B．
variety．
C．
condition．
D．
period．
(4)
From the passage we can predict the future of crosstalk lies in ________．
