Fans of the British royal family around the world are making plans for April 29th, 2011. That’s the date that Prince William and Catherine Middleton are to tie the knot at Westminster Abbey in London.
A royal wedding is a rare and unique event in Britain so for many it’s something worth celebrating, particularly if you are in the business of making memorabilia (收藏品).
Producers of these souvenirs are wasting no time in manufacturing key rings, mugs, teapots and tea towels, mostly with the faces of the happy couple emblazoned on the front. These are the must buy items that royal followers want to get their hands on.
Some people may argue the royal wedding is a huge public cost but production and sale of memorabilia is good for business. Former politician, Lord Archer, has commented that, “In this age when we are trying to balance the books, the royal family are a great benefit to Great Britain Limited.”
A porcelain-making company, called Royal Crown Derby, is already manufacturing souvenir pottery. Louise Adams from the company says “we started designing, truly, about two years ago.” It is big business for China too, where much of the merchandise that marks the big event is made.
But why are people so keen to get their hands on a commemorative mug, so much so that one British supermarket has already seen them flying off the shelves?
Obviously, we like to remember an event like this and maybe it makes us feel as though we are part of the occasion. However their monetary value is likely to be low. Eric Knowles from the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow claims, “The vast majority of it will be worthless.”
Modern day souvenirs tend to be mass-produced making them cheap and easy to find. However limited edition or high-end items tend to keep their value and could be a better investment for the future.
But there is one thing we can guarantee that won’t be mass-produced and cheap. That’s the wedding dress for Princess Catherine, as Catherine Middleton will be known.
(   ) 【小题1】. From the first three paragraphs we can learn that         .

Directions: Complete the following passage by filling in each blank with one word that best fits

 the context.

On the first day of classes at a Los Angeles high school, several American boys came up to a Chinese boy and said: “Hi, what’s up?”   48    hearing their greeting, the boy,   49     had just moved to the US with his parents, raised his head and looked at the sky.

This is a story told by David Chen,  50  31-year-old actor in Taiwan who recently launched a Sina mini-blog, on which he teaches easy English expressions.

“   51   me, the mini-blog is like a mirror．When I read the comments, I see myself more clearly.”

Chen made a breakthrough last year    52   he had a double-eyelid surgery．“I like making changes and I think it’s necessary,” he said．“I know many fans like my pretty boy image．But now I’m growing up, I want to look rougher and  53  mature.”

“When you have a new haircut, you do not need to explain it．__54___ is just like changing your mood to do so–if you feel happy, that’s great,” said Chen．“Young people should realize    

that sometimes you can just do what you want to do．You will eventually get support from others if you dare to be   55   .”

PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION

  Directions: read the following three passages．Each passages is followed by several questions or unfinished statements．For each of them there are four choices marked with A, B, C and D．choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.

Many fans are always collecting a lot of information _____ with their favorite stars.

Outside the exit, many fans waited for the great pop singer, _______to take a picture with him.

A. hoping                           B. hope                                 C. hoped                            D. to hope

Paul, the oracle octopus (神算章鱼), was given a replica (复制品) of the World Cup as a reward for his perfect eight-for-eight record in predicting the results of matches.
The two-year-old octopus with possible supernatural powers turned into a worldwide celebrity for accurately predicting the German team’s five World Cup wins as well as their two defeats. Paul also tipped Spain to beat Netherlands in the final.
“We have had a lot of offers for Paul but he will definitely be staying with us and returning to his usual job-making children smile,” Sea Life spokeswoman Tanja Munzig in Oberhausen said after presenting Pual with the World Cup replica.
There’s no rational(合理的)reasons why Paul always got it right. Bettors around the world made small fortunes based on Paul’s guess, said Graham Sharpe, media relations director at William Hill in London. “I’ve seen a lot of things in my lifetime but this is the first time I’ve ever seen people making their picks based on what an octopus tells them. We had people coming in saying they didn’t know how to place a bet but heard about this German octopus and wanted to bet with him. It’s funny. But he kept getting it right.” said Sharpe.
Sharpe said that anyone who had placed a 10-pound accumulator bet(累计下注)on Paul’s prediction from the start of the World Cup would have won 3,000 pounds($4,500)by the end of the tournament.
Paul’s home at Sea Life aquarium(水族馆)in Oberhausen has been crowded with visitors and media from across Europe. Many networks broadcast his predicting live. Many networks broadcast his picks live. Hundreds were on hand to watch the World Cup replica lowered into his tank on Monday, 12 July, 2010.
【小题1】 Paul was rewarded a replica of the Word Cup because he          .