XI’AN－Seven people died in a fire early on Wednesday morning in Xi’an, capital of Shannxi Province．A restaurant with a karaoke hall in the southern suburbs caught fire around 2 a.m.and seven waitresses who were sleeping on the second floor of the restaurant were killed．The restaurant was completely destroyed and the waitresses, the local police said, were killed by toxic smoke from burning decorations．
MANILA－Four people were killed yesterday in the central Philippine island of Tacloban when a bomb they had dug up exploded, local police were quoted as saying．The four people were digging to set up a septic(poisonous)tank in their house when they dug up the bomb．It went off, killing all four people, local police were quoted by radio station DZBB as saying．The police did not say where the bomb came from．Unexploded bombs from World War Ⅱ are still discovered around the Philippines once in a while．
TEL AVIV－An Israeli couple kissed for 30 hours and 45 minutes which, a spokeswoman said yesterday, was a world record．The couple, both in their twenties, started kissing on Monday at 8∶30 p.m.along with 250 other couples in a contest．“For nearly 31 hours they didn’t eat, drink, talk or even go to the bathroom．And the whole time, they were standing up”, said Arielle Goldman, who handled public relations for the event．She said a representative of the Guinness Book of World Records was on hang to witness the event, recorded on video．The previous record was 29 hour and 37 minutes, Goldman said．The winning couple received two round-the-world plane tickets and ＄2,500．
(1)
Which of the following statements is right?
[ ]
A．
The news report didn’t mention the loss caused by the fire．
B．
After reading the report we know how the fire broke out．
C．
The reporter tended to think the bomb had something to do with World War Ⅱ
D．
The local police refused to admit the bomb had anything to do with World War Ⅱ．
(2)
The underlined word“toxic”means ________．
[ ]
A．
poisonous
B．
dangerous
C．
hot
D．
thick
(3)
The Israeli couple kissed for nearly 31 hours ________．
[ ]
A．
to test their endurance
B．
to set a new world record
C．
to show their special love
D．
to prove they are very healthy
(4)
Why did so many couples take part in the contest?
[ ]
A．
Because it was a good chance to enjoy themselves．
B．
Because they were poor and wanted to gain the 2,500 dollars．
C．
Because they wanted to attract people’s attention．
During a winter’s night in 1935, Xia Xinmin, a 21-year-old soldier in the Red Army, was climbing a snowy mountain．With heavy snowflakes flying around him, Xia felt shattered by the piercing cold wind? He couldn’t move one more step．So his friends tied him to the tail of a horse, dragging him forward．
“You can’t imagine the cold, fighting for breath on the high mountain, ” said Xia．“But I survived thanks to help from other soldiers and our strong willpower．”
Xia was among the soldiers who overcame the dangers of the 12,500-kilometre Long March．Surrounded by Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang Army, the Red Army began the two-year march to escape．On October 22, 1936, they finally succeeded, arriving at Shaan’xi．
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the victory? Seventy years have passed, but stories of the Red Army’s bravery have been passed down through families．“I was quite touched when my grandfather told me his wartime stories, ” said Guan Yingran, 17．His grandfather experienced countless dangers after he joined the Red Army at the age of eight．
“Gradfather said it was their belief in winning a better life for all the people that finally led them out of darkness, ” said Guan．
Yin Weidong a policeman who retraced the full route in October, fully understands the power of belief．The 34-year-old was really frightened when he fell into a swamp．“It helped me understand the spirit of the Long March which means you must never give up hope．”
Recent years have seen groups of people like Yin retrace the march．Two Englishmen finished their new Long March in 2003．This summer students from 13 universities took part in a relay to cover the full route．In this way they figured out what young people could learn from the Long March．
Lin Lu, a 17-year-old girl said the Long March encouraged her to work hard during Senior 3．“Like the soldiers, I believe in myself and that I can win a place at my dream school．” However, she said her bitterness is nothing compared to that of the army．“They lost their lives, but all that I lost was a few hours’ sleep．”
“In modern society where beliefs tend to be lost, the Long March teaches people to search for them again, ” said Wang Shuzeng, author of the book “Long March” in 2006．
(1)
The experience of Xia ________．
[ ]
A．
showed how tough the journey can be for those who want to retrace the route
B．
is an example of the tough soldiers who achieved the success of the Long March
C．
gave us a clear picture of what qualities a good mountain climber must have
D．
warn us of the potential dangers of climbing high mountains alone
(2)
Those who retraced the route ________．
[ ]
A．
are inspired by the spirit of the Long March
B．
overcame the same dangers as 70 years ago
C．
believed in winning a better life for all the people
D．
were mostly students from famous universities
(3)
By quoting the author of the book“Long March”, the writer means that ________．
[ ]
A．
the Long March is a valuable lesson for people in modern society
B．
people should try to retrace the route of the “Long March”
C．
living in a comfortable environment, people easily lose their beliefs
D．
people should sometimes search for difficulties in their lives
阅读理解
14days from just ￡2,090pp
Fully inclusive from the UK
Price cover international airfares, departure taxes, fuel charge, local transportation all meals, entrance fecs, guides, daily tours and visas for UK citizens．
◆
Days 1-3 UK-Shanghai
Fly to the great city of shanghai and in the evening sample traditional shanghai food．Visit the beautiful YU Garden, Old Town．shanghai Museum, cross the Grest Nanpu Bridge and tour the Pudong area．Also explore Xintiandi with its 1920’s style Smkomen buildings and end your stay in shanghai with an amazing Huangpu river evening tour．
◆
Days 4-7：Shanghai-Yangtze River Tour
Fly to yichang and change(approx：one hour)to board your Yangtze River ship for the next four nights．Enjoy a tour of the three Gorgee Dam(三峡大坝)before sailing on the grand Yangtze River, passing through the impressive Three Gorges．We take a side tripe to the lesser Three Gorges or travel up the shennong Stream in a peapod boat and enjoy various shore trips along the way．
◆
Day8：Chongqing－chengd
Get off in Chongqing and drive to Chengdu for an overnight stay．
◆
Day9-10; Chengdu-xi’an
Visit the famous Panda Reserve to see the lovely animals We then fly to the bistoric city of xi’an for two nights stay and enjoy traditional Shuijiao．Next day, explore one of the most important discoveries of the 20th century－the Terracotta Warriors(兵马俑), followed by the ancient City wall and a performance of Tang Dynasty dancing．
◆
Day11-13：xi’an-beijing
Visit little wild goose pagoda and see the ancient objects at the well-kowm shangxi provincial museum before walking through the lively militia Quarter to see the Great Mosque．Later fly to Beijing for three nights stay and try Peking Duck．During our stay in Beijing, we stroll through Tiananmen Square to the Forbidden city, the largest and best preserved collection of ancient buildings in china, and visit the summer palace．Next day we take a walk on the Great wall, tour the unique Temple of Heaven and enjoy an attractive Chinese Acrzibatio show．
◆
Day14：Beijing-UK
Fly back to the UK, arriving home later the same day filled with happy memories．
(1)
The underlined word“sample”in the passage probably means“________”
[ ]
A．
buy
B．
reserve
C．
taste
D．
make
(2)
The first and last scenic spots to he visited in xi’an are ________．
[ ]
A．
the Terracotta Warriors and the Great Mosque
B．
the Terracotta Warriors and shanghai provincial Museum
C．
little wild goose Pagoda and Great Mosque
D．
Little wild goose Pagoda and the Muslim Quarter
(3)
Which of the following is TRUE according to the ad?
[ ]
A．
The tourists will have to pay extra for fuel and meals．
B．
The tourists will visit the 1920’s Shikumen buildings in Beijing
C．
The tourists will take a side trip to the Three Gorges Dam during the tour．
D．
The tourists will stay in Beijing for three nights before leaving for the UK
(4)
The ad is mainly intended to ________．
[ ]
A．
encourage the British to travel in China
B．
attract the British to traditional Chinese food
C．
offer service of booking air tickets to tourists
D．
provide the British with a better understanding of China．
阅读理解
14 days from just ￡ 2,090 pp
Fully inclusive from the UK
Price covers：International airfares, departure taxes, fuel charges, local transportation, accommodation, all meals, entrance fees, guides, daily tours and visas for UK citizens．
◆Days 1-3：UK－Shanghai
Fly to the great city of Shanghai and in the evening sample traditional Shanghai food．Visit the beautiful Yu Gardens, Old Town, Shanghai Museum, cross the Great Nanpu Bridge and tour the Pudong area．Also explore Xintiandi with its 1920’ s style Shikumen buildings and end your stay in Shanghai with an amazing Huangpu River evening tour．
◆Days 4-7：Shanghai－Yangtze River Tour
Fly to Yichang and change(approx：one hour)to board your Yangtze River ship for the next four nights．Enjoy a tour of the Three Gorges Dam(三峡大坝)before sailing on the grand Yangtze River, passing through the impressive Three Gorges．We take a side trip to the Lesser Three Gorges or travel up the Shennong Stream in a peapod boat and enjoy various shore trips along the way．
◆Day 8：Chongqing－Chengdu
Get off in Chongqing and drive to Chengdu for an overnight stay．
◆Days 9-10：Chengdu－Xi’an
Visit the famous Panda Reserve to see the lovely animals．We then fly to the historic city of Xi’an for two nights’ stay and enjoy traditional Shui Jiao．Next day, explore one of the most important discoveries of the 20th Century－the Terracotta Warriors(兵马俑)，followed by the ancient City Wall and a performance of Tang Dynasty dancing．
◆Days 11-13：Xi’an－Beijing
Visit Little Wild Goose Pagoda and see the ancient objects at the well-known Shanxi Provincial Museum before walking through the lively Muslim Quarter to see the Great Mosque．Later fly to Beijing for three nights’ stay and try Peking Duck．During our stay in Beijing, we stroll through Tiananmen Square to the Forbidden City, the largest and best preserved collection of ancient buildings in China, and visit the Summer Palace．Next day we take a walk on the Great Wall, tour the unique Temple of Heaven and enjoy an attractive Chinese Acrobatic Show．
◆Day 14：Beijing－UK
Fly back to the UK, arriving home later the same day filled with happy memories．
(1)
The underlined word “sample” in the passage probably means “________”．
[ ]
A．
buy
B．
reserve
C．
taste
D．
make
(2)
The first and last scenic spots to be visited in Xi’an are ________．
[ ]
A．
the Terracotta Warriors and the Great Mosque
B．
the Terracotta Warriors and Shaanxi Provincial Museum
C．
Little Wild Goose Pagoda and the Great Mosque
D．
Little Wild Goose Pagoda and the Muslim Quarter
(3)
Which of the following is TRUE according to the ad?
[ ]
A．
The tourists will have to pay extra for fuel and meals．
B．
The tourists will visit the 1920’s Shikumen buildings in Beijing．
C．
The tourists will take a side trip to the Three Gorges Dam during the tour．
D．
The tourists will stay in Beijing for three nights before leaving for the UK．
(4)
The ad is mainly intended to ________．
[ ]
A．
encourage the British to travel in China
B．
attract the British to traditional Chinese food
C．
offer services of booking air tickets to tourists
D．
provide the British with a better understanding of China
阅读理解
On the evening of June 21, 1992, a tall man with brown hair and blue eyes entered the beautiful hall of the Bell Tower Hotel in Xi’an with his bicycle．The hotel workers received him and telephoned the manager, for they had never seen a bicycle in the hotel ball before, though they lived in “the kingdom of bicycles．”
Robert Friedlander, an American, arrived in Xi’an on his bicycle trip across Asia which started last December in New Delhi, India．
When he was 11, he read the book Marco Polo and made up his mind to visit the Silk Road．Now, after 44 years, he was on the Silk Road in Xi’an and his early dreams were coming true．
Robert Friedlander’s next destinations(目的地)were Lanzhou, Dunhuang, Urumqi, etc．He will complete his trip in Pakistan．
(1)
The best headline(标题)for this newspaper article would be ________．
[ ]
A．
The Kingdom of Bicycles
B．
A Beautiful Hotel in Xi’an
C．
Marco Polo and the Silk Road
D．
An American Achieving His Aims
(2)
The hotel workers told the manager about Friedlander coming to the hotel because ________．
[ ]
A．
he asked to see the manager．
B．
he entered the hall with a bike．
C．
the manager had to know about all foreign guests．
D．
the manager knew about his trip and was expecting him．
(3)
Friedlander is visiting the three countries in the following order ________．
known for its dictionaries and English language teaching materials. Some readers have written in to ask us for the latest information on high quality books on English speaking, so here we introduce two texts that aim to improve spoken English fluency(流利).
