Could you imagine your parents choosing your husband or wife for you? And can you imagine not setting eyes on him or her until your wedding day? This situation is common in India, the Middle East and many parts of Africa．Marriage customs around the world often differ from our own．We don’t realize that people in other places often get married in very different ways and with different motives．
In many countries, marriage is a practical matter．A marriage provides a safe and stable home for the husband and wife．It also joins two families, which benefits the couple’s parents and makes them happy．Marriage also brings children, making sure the couple will be taken care of in old age．Because a marriage is important for the whole family, some cultures don’t let young people choose whom to marry．
Just as there are many different reasons for marriage, there are also many different wedding rituals．Every culture has its own ways of bringing good luck to the happy couple．In a typical Western wedding, the bride seeks good luck by wearing “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue”．Something old represents the past．Something new represents success in the future．Something borrowed reminds the bride she can get help from her friends and family．And something blue reminds her to be true to her husband．
In Poland, one wedding tradition is not only lucky, but also very practical．The wedding guests pin money to the bride’s dress while she is dancing．The money is meant to bring luck and to help the young couple build their new life．In Bermuda, the young couple plants a tree in the yard of their new home．Once they move in, they take good care of the tree and make it grow．The planting of the tree is a good metaphor（比喻） for marriage．A truly good marriage is something that grows with care．
【小题1】Which of the following statements does NOT support the idea that marriage is a practical matter?

A．The couple may have a safe home through their marriage．

B．The parents had better help their children choose whom to marry．

C．A marriage benefits the couple’s parents and makes them happy．

D．A marriage brings children who will take care of the couple when they are old．

A．People across the world get married in different ways and for different reasons．

B．Every culture has its own ways of bringing good luck to the young couple．

C．A truly good marriage is something that grows with care．

D．In many countries, marriage is a practical matter．

As far back in history as we can tell , people have celebrated the start of a New Year. The people of ancient Egypt began their New Year in summer. That is when the Nile River flooded its banks bringing water and fertility（肥沃）to the land. The people of ancient Babylon and Persia began their New Year on March 21, the first day of spring . And some native American Indians began their New Year when the nuts of the oak trees became ripe. That was usually in late summer.

Noise-making is another ancient custom on the New Year. The noise is considered necessary to drive away the evil spirits of the old year. People around the world do different things to make a lot of noise. They may hit sticks together, beat on drums, blow horns, or explode fire-works.

　 Americans celebrate the New Year in many ways. Most do not have to go to work or school. So they visit family and friends, attend church services, share a holiday meal, or watch New Year’s parades（游行） on television. Most years university teams play in special holiday games. For those who have been busy at work or school, New Year may be a day of rest. They spend the time thinking about and preparing for the demands of the New Year.

1. Which of the following statements is right?

A. The people of ancient Egypt began their New Year in spring.

B. The people of ancient Babylon began their New Year on March 21, the first day of spring.

C. Some native American Indians began their New Year in early summer.

D. The people of ancient Persia began their New Year in late summer.

2. Why do people make a lot of noise on the New Year according to the passage?

A. The noise is considered necessary to frighten the evil spirits of the old year.

B. The noise is considered necessary to show people’s excitement.

C. They spend the time thinking about and preparing for the demands of the New Year.

D. People have no other better ways to show their happiness.

3. Americans celebrate the New Year by doing things as follows except___________ .

A. resting at home

B. visiting family and friends

C. attending church services

D. having sports and games

In the United States, when one becomes rich, he wants people to know it. And even if he does not become very rich, he wants people to think that he is. That is what "keeping up with the Joneses" is about. It is the story of someone who tried to look as rich as his neighbors.

　　The expression was first used in 1913 by a young American called Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself. He began earning $ 125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days. He got married and moved with his wife to a very wealthy neighborhood. When he saw that rich people rode horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. When he saw that rich people had servants, Momand and his wife also hired a servant and gave big parties for their new neighbors.

　　It was like a race, but one could never finish this race because one was always trying to keep up. The race ended for Momand and his wife when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They had to move back to an apartment in New York City. Momand looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with rich lifestyle of their neighbors. He saw the funny side of it and started to write a series of short stories. He called it "Keeping up with the Joneses” because "Jones" is a very common name in the United States. "Keeping up with the Joneses" came to mean keeping up with rich lifestyle of the people around you. Momand's series appeared in different newspapers across the country for over 28 years.

　　People never seem to get tired of keeping up with the Joneses. And there are "Joneses" in every city of the world. But one must get tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses because no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead.

1.Some people want to keep up with the Joneses because they ______.

A．want to be as rich as their neighbors

B．want others to know or to think that they are rich

C．don't want others to know they are rich

D．want to be happy

2.It can be inferred from the story that rich people like to ________.

A．live outside New York City

B．live in New York City

C．live in apartments

D．live with many neighbors

3.What's the author's attitude to keeping up with the Joneses?

A．Negative.          B．Positive.           C．Supportive.        D．Objective.

　　In the past, it was open every evening, and also on Saturdays

and Sundays. Now it's close at those times to save money. 1________

The library is trying in every possible way to raise more　　 2_______

money to meet their increasing costs. Well-known New York 3_______

writers and artists are trying to help. So are the　　 4_______

university, whose students use the library, and the　　 5_______

governments of New York City and New York State, and 6_______

the problem still remains seriously. Yet a way must be　　7_______

found to save the library because, as one writer says:　　 8________

"The public library is most important building in　　　　 9_______

New York City. It contains all our knowledges.　　　　　　10______