February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.

    On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor (皇帝) decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage.

    But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.

     Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.

Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?

    A. Because there were few women in his country at that time.

    B. Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers.

    C. Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people.

    D. Because he wanted to control the birth rate.

Valentine was put into prison because ______.

    A. he killed one of the soldiers           B. he stole a lot of food

    C. he didn’t obey the emperor’s order      D. he didn’t want to be a soldier

The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.

    A. students in China send cards to their teachers

    B. it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China

    C. it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China

    D. Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now

The best title for this passage should be ______.

    A. Valentine’s Day   B. A Brave Priest   C. Valentine’s Day in China   D. A Romantic Man

It was getting dark and snow was coming down. Joe was driving home. He’d been unemployed since the factory closed. Most of his friends had left, but he stayed on. After all, he was born here.

Suddenly he saw a lady standing on the side of the road and pulled up. She was worried. No one had stopped to help her. Was he going to hurt her? He looked poor and hungry. Joe knew how she felt and said, “My name is Joe and I’m here to help you.” All she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Joe changed the tire, but he got dirty and his hands were hurt. She wanted to pay Joe and said any amount would have been all right. Joe never thought twice about the money and there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance that they needed.

Later the lady went in a dingy-looking restaurant to grab a bite to eat. The cash register was like the telephone of an out-of-work actor----it didn’t ring much. The waitress, who was nearly eight months pregnant, brought a clean towel to her with a sweet smile. The old lady remembered Joe. After the waitress brought the change from a 100-dollar bill, she found the lady gone and something written on a piece of paper, “Someone once helped me out----the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, don’t let the chain of love end with you.”

That night the waitress gave her sleeping husband a soft kiss and whispered, “Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Joe.”

What do we know about Joe from this passage?

A. On his way home after work, he helped an old lady.

B. He had worked in a factory in his hometown before.

C. He would move away to fulfill his dream soon.

D. Though he was poor, he didn’t care about money at all.

The saying “she wanted to pay Joe and said any amount would have been all right” in Paragraph 2

suggests that _____.

A. the old lady was very grateful to Joe’s timely aid

B. the old lady was much worried to be hurt by Joe

C. the old lady wanted to show off her fortune to Joe  

D. the old lady’s car was very difficult to repair for Joe

Which of the following is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?

A. The restaurant was not only light but also clean.

B. The old lady did have a big meal in the small restaurant.

C. The waitress was more than eight months pregnant.

D. The old lady left the remaining money to the waitress.

Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A. Acts of luck                               B.A warm-hearted man

C. The chain of love                       D.A generous lady

短文写作

请你根据以下提示，结合生活中的一个事例，用英语写一篇短文，谈谈微笑的作用。

The best example of universally understood body language may be the smile.A smile can help us get through difficult situation and find friends in a world of strangers.A smile can open doors and tear down walls.

注意：①无须写标题；

      ②内容只需涉及一个方面；

      ③词数为100左右。

The year was 1932. Amelia Earhart was flying alone from North America to England in a small single-engined aeroplane. At midnight, several hours after she had left Newfoundland, she ran into bad weather. To make things worse, her altimeter (高度表) failed and she didn’t know how high she was flying. At night, and in a storm, a pilot is in great difficulty without an altimeter. At times, her plane nearly plunged (冲) into the sea.

    Just before dawn, there was further trouble. Amelia noticed flames (火焰) coming from the engine. Would she be able to reach land? There was nothing to do except keep going and hope.

    In the end, Amelia Earhart did reach Ireland, and for the courage she had shown, she was warmly welcomed in England and Europe. When she returned to the United States, she was honored by President Hoover at a special dinner in the White House. From that time on, Amelia Earhart was famous.

    What was so important about her flight? Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly the Atlantic Ocean alone, and she had set a record of fourteen hours and fifty-six minutes.

    In the years that followed, Amelia Earhart made several flights across the United States, and on each occasion she set a new record for flying time. Amelia Earhart made these flights to show that women had a place in aviation (航空) and that air travel was useful.

Which of the following statements is NOT the difficulty which Amelia Earhart met in her flight from north America to England?

  A. She was caught in a storm.               B. The altimeter went out of order.

  C. Her engine went wrong.                 D. She lost her direction.

When Amelia Earhart saw flames coming from the engine, what did she do?

  A. She did nothing but pray for herself.

  B. She changed her direction and landed in Ireland.

  C. She continued flying.

  D. She lost hope of reaching land.

According to the passage, what was Amelia Earhart’s reason for making her flights?

  A. To set a new record for flying time.

  B. To be the first woman to fly around the world.

  C. To show that aviation was not just for men.

  D. To become famous in the world.

Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

  A. Amelia Earhart—First Across the Atlantic.

  B. Amelia Earhart—Pioneer in Women’s Aviation.

  C. A New Record for Flying Time.

  D. A Dangerous Flight from North America to England.

When you leave school，you can breathe sigh of relief and leave learning behind，right？Wrong！Learning should last a lifetime. You exercise your body to stay strong，and you should exercise your mind to stay sharp.

An English idiom says，“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” But scientists have discovered that isn’t true. Older people can learn，and they should，in order to keep their brain active. Now a new trend has begun in several states in the US that encourages learning. Adults can attend One Day University. They can spend a Saturday or Sunday hearing four 70-minute lectures. Each one is given by a top university professor. One of the original participants said，“It’s like a health club for the brain.” Also，universities like MIT have made all of their courses and lectures available online for free！Libraries offer learning programs too. With so much available，there is no excuse not to learn!

Learning is a habit. Don’t leave it behind after you leave school. On the website lifehack.org，author Scott Young mentions several things to help you.

Always have a book. It doesn’t matter if you read fast or slow. Just read. If you read just one book a week，you’ll read 52 over the course of a year. Think of the knowledge you’ll gain!

Practice it. As you read，do something with what you’ve learned. Don’t just enjoy the mental exercise. Use the knowledge. If you read about painting，try it!

Make a “to learn” list. Compose a “to learn” list for yourself. Maybe you want to speak better English，play the piano，or cook French food. Whatever interests you，put it on your list and then make the time to do it.

Teach others. Whatever you learn，teach someone else. You’ll not only help others but also understand what you’ve learned.

What’s the best title for this passage?

  A．Make learning last a lifetime.

  B．What you should do after leaving school.

  C．Several tips on learning.

  D．A new trend in learning.

What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 mean?

  A．You don’t need to consider what you have learnt after graduation.

  B．You can relax as you have escaped from the hard life of studying.

  C．Leaving learning behind is what you should do after a break.

  D．You should have a good rest and then go on learning.

How many ways of learning for adults in the US are mentioned in Paragraph 2?

  A．One.   B．Two.   C．Three.     D．Four.

Which of the following is NOT a suggestion made by Scott Young in the passage?

  A．Keep learning as a habit.

  B．Always have a book.

  C．List what you want to learn.

  D．Teach others what you learn.