Barcelona December 22,2007.

Spain’s “El Gordo,” the word’s biggest lottery (彩票), gave out 2.2 billion euros (欧元) (1.6 billion pounds) in Christmas prizes on Saturday.

El Gordo, Spanish for "The Fat One", is designed so that as many people as possible across Spain get a festive windfall. The top prize this year was 3 million euros -- going to the series of tickets with the magic number 06381.

Because the tickets are sold in a series of 10, only those who paid 200 euros for the whole strip get the full prize.

The biggest share of winning tickets was bought by people in the town of Nava, in the north-western Asturias region.

The draw lasts three-and-a-half hours and is carried live on national television with children from the San Ildefonso school, a former orphanage in Madrid, in turn chanting the winning numbers and the amount won.

Lotteries have two centuries of history in Spain. The country spent 2.87 billion euros on the lottery -- 5.7 percent more than last year. Seventy percent is paid out in prizes. Most of the rest goes in costs. Eight out of ten Spaniards bought tickets for the lottery, spending on average 64 euros. Spaniards often choose lottery numbers matching significant dates although there was no particular favourite in 2007. In 2006, one of the most sought-after series was 22105, the date on which Fernando Alonso became Formula 1 world champion for the second year running.

The underlined word “windfall” in paragraph two probably means         .

       A．fat gift            B．unexpected fortune

       C．big feast          D．wind and snow

Who is likely to win the full prize in El Gordo?

       A．People who paid 200 euros for the wole group of series.

       B．People who bough tickets with the magic number 06381.

       C．People who lived in a town in the northwestern Asturias.

       D．People who chose lottery numbers matching Alonso’s date.

According to the text, children from the San Ildefonso School in Madrid will         .

       A．host the draw of lottery live on TV

       B．offer a show of three – and – a – half hours

       C．perform with the lottery draw as Christmas celebration

       D．help make some declarations for the draw as invited guests

What can we learn about the history of lotteries in Spain?

       A．Most of the money people spent on lotteries goes in the cost.

       B．The majority of Spaniards have the experience of buying lotteries.

       C．Lottery numbers matching significant dates help people win every year.

       D．As the biggest in the world, Spanish lotteries have a history of two centuries.

CALCUTTA, India Mar 24, 2006 (AP) — One of the world’s oldest creatures, a giant tortoise believed to have been about 250 years old, has died in the Calcutta zoo where it spent more than half its long life.

Addwaita, which means “the one and only” in the local Bengali language, was one of four Aldabra tortoises brought to India by British sailors in the 18th century. Zoo officials say he was a gift for Lord Robert Clive of the East India Company, who was instrumental in establishing British colonial rule in India, before he returned to England in 1767. Long after the other three tortoises died, Addwaita continued to thrive, living in Clive’s garden before being moved to the zoo in 1875.

“According to records in the zoo, the age of the giant tortoise, Addwaita, who died on Wednesday, would be about 250 years,” said zoo director Subir Chowdhury. That would have made him much older than the world’s oldest documented living animal: Harriet, a 176-year-old Galapagos tortoise who lives at the Australia Zoo north of Brisbane, according to the zoo’s Web site. She was taken from the island of Isla Santa Cruz by Charles Darwin in the 19th century.

Aldabra tortoises come from the Aldabra atoll in the Seychelle islands in the Indian Ocean, and often live to more than 100 years of age. Males can weigh up to 550 pounds. Addwaita, the zoo’s biggest attraction, had been unwell for the last few days, said local Forest Minister Jogesh Burman.

“We were keeping a watch on him. When the zoo keepers went to his enclosure on Wednesday they found him dead,” Burman said.

1. According to the passage, Addwaita ________.

  A. was sent to India as a gift by British government

  B. was sent to India by British sailors in 1767

  C. lived together with three other Aldabra tortoises in India

  D. belonged to Lord Robert Clive for some time

2. By now, the oldest animal in the world is about at ________.

   A. 176 years old      B. 100 years old       C. 250 years old      D. 200 years old

3. In the last few days before Addwaita died, he ________.

A. had been sent to hospital for treatment         

B. had been playing with travelers

C. had been found not better than before          

D. had stayed in his enclosure for days

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A. An Old Aldabra Tortoise Died in India    

B. A Remarkable Life: Tortoise Dies at 250

C. A Special Kind of Tortoise — Addwaita   

D. The Oldest Animal Aldabra Tortoise Died

请阅读下列学位申请者的信息，从A、B、C、D、E和F 6个国家中为每位申请者选出最合适的留学国家，选项中有一项是多余选项。

1. Zhang Yuan has passed the IELTS and hopes to go to a foreign country for further study with easier access to visas and international environment, regardless of the tuition fee.

2.Wang Ying doesn’t have so much money and wishes to study art at a university in a foreign country as an international student.

3. Li Ming would like to take on campus part-time jobs while studying in a foreign country and wishes to go on staying in the country after he finishes studying there.

4.Li Hong can afford a tuition of about 200,000 yuan. She wishes to study in a foreign country with good climate and wishes to go on staying in the country after she finishes studying there.

5.Zhang Hua has passed the TOEFL and GRE. He wants to have more chances of getting scholarships to study in a foreign country.

New friends, Fresh lifestyle, Better career opportunities… Those are attractions of overseas study for young people in China. “Start early, finish strong.” Some of them say.

More than 300 universities from 27 countries and regions were represented at last weekend’s international education exposition (展览).

American public education has changed in recent years. One change is that increasing numbers of American parents and teachers are starting independent public schools called charter schools.

In 1991, there were no charter schools in the United States. Today, more than 2300 charter schools operate in 34 states and the District of Columbia. 575000 students attend these schools. The students are from 5 years of age through 18 or older.

A charter school is created by groups of parents, teachers and community members. It is similar in some ways to a traditional public school. It receives tax money to operate a number of students. The charter school must prove to local or state governments that its students are learning. These governments provide the school with the agreement, or charter that permits it to operate.

Unlike a traditional public school, however, the charter school does not have to obey most laws governing public schools. Local, state or federal governments cannot tell it what to teach.

Each school can choose its own goals and decide the ways it wants to reach those goals. Class sizes are usually smaller than in many traditional public schools. Many students and parents say teachers in charter schools can be more creative.

However, state education agencies, local education-governing committees and unions often oppose charter schools. They say these schools may receive money badly needed by traditional public schools. Experts say some charter schools are doing well while others are struggling.

Congress provided 200 million dollars for establishing charter schools in the 2006 federal budget. But, often the schools say they lack enough money for programs. Many also lack needed space. District officials say they have provided 14 former school buildings for charter education. Yet charter school supporters say officials should try harder to find more space.

Charter Schools in America

请认真阅读下列短文，并根据短文的内容要点完成文章后的表格列单。

注意：补全填空应符合语法和搭配要求，每空只填一个单词。

American public education has changed in recent years. One change is that increasing numbers of American parents and teachers are starting independent public schools called charter schools.

In 1991, there were no charter schools in the Unite States. Today, more than 2300 charter schools operate in 34 states and the District of Columbia. 575000 students attend these schools. The students are from 5 years of age through 18 or older.

A charter school is created by groups of parents, teachers and community members. It is similar in some ways to a traditional public school. It receives tax money to operate a number of students. The charter school must prove to local or state governments that its students are learning. These governments provide the school with the agreement, or charter that permits it to operate.

Unlike a traditional public school, however, the charter school does not have to obey most laws governing public schools. Local, state or federal governments cannot tell it what to teach.

Each school can choose its own goals and decide the ways it wants to reach those goals. Class sizes are usually smaller than in many traditional public schools. Many students and parents say teachers in charter schools can be more creative.

However, state education agencies, local education-governing committees and unions often oppose charter schools. They say these schools may receive money badly needed by traditional public schools. Experts say some charter schools are doing well while others are struggling.

Congress provided 200 million dollars for establishing charter schools in the 2006 federal budget. But, often the schools say they lack enough money for programs. Many also lack needed space. District officials say they have provided 14 former school buildings for charter education. Yet charter school supporters say officials should try harder to find more space.

Charter Schools in America