Peter the Great(1672～1725) was the ruler of the Russian Empire, who wanted his city to be unique in Russia. Therefore, the city was filled with canals like those of Venice, baroque (巴洛克式的)palaces and British townhouses. Now the city has celebrated its 300th anniversary(周年). 

Naming the city was a difficult matter. At first, Peter the Great called the new Russian city Sankt Pieter Burkh. But, he soon changed this to St Petersburg. When World WarⅠ broke out in 1914, it was renamed Petrograd. On the death of Lenin in 1924, it became Leningrad. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, it returned to St Petersburg. From the start, St Petersburg was a very modern, international city. It first became the Russian capital in 1712, and with this in mind, Peter hired a great deal of international talent to build and develop it. 

The most obvious effect of this arrival of foreigners was in the design of the city’s streets, parks, palaces and government buildings. Although bombed to near destruction by Adolf Hitler’s forces in the 1940s, the city was rebuilt, stone by stone. What you see around you in the end of Catherine the Great’s rule in 1796, after nearly a century, is Peter’s city which was one of the finest in the world. 

Peter the Great’s city was, and now remains a meeting point for the cultures of Russia and Europe, whether you are one of the 49 percent of its population who, in 1991, voted to remain its revolutionary name, Leningrad, or the 51 percent who chose St Petersburg. To everyone, it remains Peter, an architectural(建筑学的)stone of race and beauty. 

55. St Petersburg is a great city which ______. 

A. used to be very famous

B. is a mixture of various styles

C. was completely destroyed in the 1940s

D. is more important than any other city in Russia

56. Which of the following names of the city has the longest history?

A. St Petersburg.                               B. Sankt Pieter Burkh.

C. Petrograd.                                 D. Leningrad. 

57. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A. To show customs of St Petersburg

B. To describe the building styles of St Petersburg

C. To introduce the great history of St Petersburg

D. To tell us more people are interested in St Petersburg

58. We can learn from the passage that _________.

A. the city was renamed St Petersburg at the death of Peter the Great

B. the city was destroyed by Catherine the Great 100 years after its completion

C. the people of the city are divided in their opinion about what it should be called

D. all the people of the city have agreed that Peter should remain as its name

Thailand is a country with a long and rich history. It is also one of those countries which have many traditions which modern times fortunately have not affected. Thailand is famous for its unique culture. It is well worth noting that Thai culture handed down from one generation to the next.
Thai Classical Dance
The inspiring culture includes local music and wonderful Thai dances. The dances of course have something to do with its deep rooted Buddhist religion, fighting arts and beautiful clothing. Thai classical dance performances are generally performed by gracious(高雅的) Thai ladies wearing beautiful Thai local costumes. Most resort(旅游胜地) areas and many hotels frequently offer these Thai culture dance shows for foreign visitors.
Thai Greeting
The Thai unique gesture of greeting another person, the wai, is especially one of the great aspects of Thai culture. The wai is when a person joins both hands to either head or chest level while bending their head slightly towards their hands. This way of greeting is especially done when a younger person greets an older person and it indicates a sign of respect to their elders. Employees would also wai their managers even if the manager would be younger than themselves.
Bangkok
Bangkok is the culture center of Thailand and has been the Thai capital since the end of the eighteenth century. Observing Thai culture in Bangkok can be great experience as the combination of modern times and traditions have created a kind of unique atmosphere. Bangkok offers a package of Thai culture which is shown by numerous beautiful Buddhist temples and many examples of modern Thai architecture.
Bangkok National Museum
Another location in Bangkok where one can enjoy and see Thai culture is at the famed Bangkok national museum, which offers tourists an opportunity to view national treasures and unique Thai art pieces with its culture feature dating back as early as the late sixteenth century.
【小题1】Thai classical dance is related to __________.

It was not just the size of the school but ________ it provides for us students________ made it unique. 

A. that; that       B. what; that       C. what; what      D. that; what

On October 19, 1959, the first Special English program was broadcast on the Voice of America. It was an experiment. The goal was to communicate by radio in clear and simple English with people whose native language is not English. Experts said the goal was admirable, but the method would not work. They were proved wrong. The Special English programs quickly became some of the most popular on VOA. And they still are.
Forty years later, Special English continues to communicate with people who are not fluent in English. But during the years its role has expanded. It also helps people learn American English. And it provides listeners, even those who are native English speakers, with information they cannot find elsewhere.
Today, Special English broadcasts around the world seven days a week, five times a day. Each half-hour broadcast begins with ten minutes of the latest news followed by 20 minutes of feature programming. There is a different short feature every weekday about science, development, agriculture and environment, and on the weekend, about news events and American idioms.
Three elements make Special English unique. It has a limited vocabulary of 1500 words. Most are simple words that describe objects, actions or emotions. Some are more difficult. They are used for reporting world events and describing discoveries in medicine and science. Special English is written in short, simple sentences that contain only one idea. No idioms are used. And Special English is spoken at a slower pace, about two-thirds the speed of Standard English. This helps people learning English hear each word clearly. It also helps people who are English speakers understand complex subjects.
Through the years, Special English has become a very popular tool for teaching English, even though it was not designed as teaching program. It succeeds in helping people learn English in a non-traditional way. Individuals record the programs and play them over and over to practice their listening skills. In countries around the world, English teachers assign Special English to their students. They praise it for improving their students' ability to understand American English and for the content of the programs. Universities and private companies in many countries produce packages of Special English materials for student use.
【小题1】At the beginning, Special English program was        .

On October 19, 1959, the first Special English program was broadcast on the Voice of America. It was an experiment. The goal was to communicate by radio in clear and simple English with people whose native language is not English. Experts said the goal was admirable, but the method would not work. They were proved wrong. The Special English programs quickly became some of the most popular on VOA. And they still are.

Forty years later, Special English continues to communicate with people who are not fluent in English. But during the years its role has expanded. It also helps people learn American English. And it provides listeners, even those who are native English speakers, with information they cannot find elsewhere.

     Today, Special English broadcasts around the world seven days a week, five times a day. Each half-hour broadcast begins with ten minutes of the latest news followed by 20 minutes of feature programming. There is a different short feature every weekday about science, development, agriculture and environment, and on the weekend, about news events and American idioms.

Three elements make Special English unique. It has a limited vocabulary of 1500 words. Most are simple words that describe objects, actions or emotions. Some are more difficult. They are used for reporting world events and describing discoveries in medicine and science. Special English is written in short, simple sentences that contain only one idea. No idioms are used. And Special English is spoken at a slower pace, about two-thirds the speed of Standard English. This helps people learning English hear each word clearly. It also helps people who are English speakers understand complex subjects.

Through the years, Special English has become a very popular tool for teaching English, even though it was not designed as teaching program. It succeeds in helping people learn English in a non-traditional way. Individuals record the programs and play them over and over to practice their listening skills. In countries around the world, English teachers assign Special English to their students. They praise it for improving their students' ability to understand American English and for the content of the programs. Universities and private companies in many countries produce packages of Special English materials for student use.

At the beginning, Special English program was         .

       A．well received

       B．rejected by native people

       C．doubted by some professionals

       D．intended for teaching English

What kind of English is spoken on Special English?

       A．British English.

       B．American English.

       C．Both British and American English.

       D．Not certain.

Which of the following are the elements that make Special English unique?

       a．limited vocabulary

       b．short simple sentences

       b．good communication method

       d．slow speed

       e．interesting feature programming

       A．a, b, c      B．a, c, d       C．a, b, d      D．b, d, e

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

       A．Special English has been founded for less than 50 years.

       B．Native English speakers don’t have a great affection for Special English.

       C．Special English usually starts with 20 minutes of the latest news.

       D．People can learn some idioms from Special English.

From the last paragraph we can infer that        .

       A．listening to Special English can be a student’s homework

       B．listening to Special English can improve the content of the program

       C．some student record the Special English material for sale

       D．learning English from VOA is a traditional way for English learner.