A. English is more popular than French. B. French is than English——青夏教育精英家教网—

　　This valley runs through the heart of French life．The Loire Valley has lots of attractions．It is famous for its rivers, stones, towns and villages, vineyards (葡萄园) castles, and of course, wines．

　　The Loire Valley is one of the most beautiful areas in France．With flowers growing all over the place, it is a colorful garden．It is a mild place and a great farming area．People grow plenty of grapes here and produce some of the best wines．Besides farming, the Loire Valley also has lots of animals．You may come across a badger (獾)，a marten (貂) or a skunk (臭鼬)！Then there are different kinds of birds and you can see rare dragonflies (蜻蜓) there, too．

　　The Loire Valley has also played an important role in the history of France．In the 9th Century, France was faced with attacks from the Vikings (北欧海盗)．The Loire Valley built many fortresses (堡垒) and remained strong when other areas did not．Later, in the 15th Century, the Loire Valley successfully resisted the English during the Hundred Years’ War．The Loire Valley has become a symbol of strength in France．

　　People believe that the culture and the language spoken in the Loire Valley are the most pure examples of French in the whole country．

　　The Loire Valley is sometimes called the Valley of the Kings because it was the popular playground for French kings and their families from the 15th to 18th centuries．French kings built chateaux (城堡)，or castles, and so did wealthy business people．

　　Now it has more than 1,000 historic castles．120 of them are open to the public．There is even the castle that inspired (启发) Sleeping Beauty．

　　Today the Loire Valley remains one of France’s most popular regions．It has more historic sights per square mile than any other places in the country except Paris．

(1)

The Loire Valley is famous for ___________．
[　　]
A．	the garden
B．	vineyards and castles
C．	the bridges
D．	mountains

(2)

Which is NOT true according to the passage?
[　　]
A．	You can’t see many different kinds of birds here．
B．	In the 9th Century, the Vikings wanted to attack France．
C．	In France, the Loire Valley is a symbol of strength．
D．	In the Loire Valley, you only see rare animals．

(3)

The Loire Valley resisted the English _____________．
[　　]
A．	in the 19th century
B．	in the 15th century
C．	one hundred years ago
D．	in the 9th century

(4)

In the Loire Valley ____________historic castles are open to the public．
[　　]
A．	1,000
B．	half of
C．	about one eighth
D．	most of

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According to the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, we officially welcome the Year of the Horse better than others.
The horse has played an important role throughout human history all over the world. Horses were used for thousands of years as a means of transportation, a weapon of war and a plougher of fields(犁地农具), but "the horse was more than just a vehicle - it had more character than a car, a tank or a tractor," Clare Balding wrote for The Telegraph.

In the Middle Ages in Western societies, the horse was a symbol of chivalry（骑士神）and nobility(贵族). In fact, the word "chivalry" comes from "cheval" in Old French, which meant horse. The idea of chivalry helped to fashion the 19th-century "gentleman", which was about good manners, courage and honesty to friends.
Nowadays, because of economic(经济) development, people in Western societies are less likely to see or ride horses. People living in cities, in particular, hardly ever experience horses except through movies, paintings or books. But horse racing, and betting .money on horse races, is still popular. The Kentucky Derby is one of the most popular sporting events every year in the US.
In the UK, the royal police still go around the city on horseback and the Queen rides in a traditional horse-drawn carriage on "ceremonial occasions (正式场合)”．
Some sayings about horses are still used in English today. For example, people still say "hold your horses" to mean “slow down". If someone seems too proud, people might tell him or her to "get off his or her high horse". And since horses are strong and energetic, there are expressions such as "as strong as a horse", "workhorse" and "horsing around". .
Interestingly, the horse also appears in many Chinese sayings, such as Qianlima, which means a talented person. Other Chinese horse sayings include Madaochenggong (instant success) and Baimawangzi (prince charming).
Besides their physical strengths, horses are smart and have "excellent memories", according to Discovery News. Maybe that's why Chinese people say, "An old horse never gets lost".
Since the horse is honored as a symbol of many great qualities, people born in the Year of the Horse are said to share them.
【小题1】According to Chinese tradition, which year is welcomed best officially?