For thousands of years, the most important two buildings in any British village have been the church and the pub. Traditionally, the church and the pub are at the heart of any village or town, where the people gather together to socialize and exchange news.

As a result, British pubs are often old and well preserved. Many of them have become historic sites. The most famous example is the pub in the city of Nottingham called “The Old Trip to Jerusalem”, which dates back to the year 1189 AD and is probably the oldest pub in England.

However, British pubs are not just for kings and queens; they welcome people from all classes and parts of society. On a cold night, the pub’s landlord or landlady can always find a warm place for you by the fire. There is always honest and hearty food and plenty of drink available at an affordable price.

That’s how things used to be. Things are beginning to change. It is said that the credit crunch(信贷紧缩) is causing 39 British pubs a week to go out of business. People do not have enough spare money to spend on beer. Recently, the UK government banned smoking in all pubs, and that may also have affected the number of customers going to pubs.

This decline is happening despite the fact that in 2005 the UK government started to allow pubs to stay open after 1l pm. Previously, with 1l pm as closing time, customers would have to drink quite quickly, meaning they sometimes got more drunk than they would if allowed to drink slowly. The British habit of drinking a lot very quickly is known as “binge drinking”, and it causes long-term health problems for people and problems with violent crime for communities.

In order to save their businesses, pubs are trying to change with the market. British pubs now offer something for everyone. A lot of pubs used to be “Working Men's Clubs”, meaning that women could not usually enter. Today, however, women can freely enter 99% of pubs without experiencing any problems. Perhaps things are changing for the better after all.

1.The passage mainly tells us something about ______.

A. the past and present of British pubs

B. the decline of British pubs

C. the long history of British pubs

D. the importance of British pubs

2.Which may not be the cause of the decline of British pubs?

A. The credit crunch.

B. The present closing time.

C. The ban of smoking.

D. Having no spare money.

3.We can infer from the passage that ______.      

A. British people used to like drinking slowly

B. closing the pubs early will reduce social problems

C. binge drinking means drinking less beer

D. British government aims to discourage people from binge drinking

4.We can see from the last paragraph that the author _______.

  A. is against the admission of too many women to the pubs

  B. holds an optimistic attitude towards the British pubs

  C. thinks that women in the pubs will cause less social problems

  D. thinks that British pubs should offer everything you need

For thousands of years, the most important two buildings in any British village have been the church and the pub. Traditionally, the church and the pub are at the heart of any village or town, where the people gather together to socialize and exchange news.

As a result, British pubs are often old and well preserved. Many of them have become historic sites. The most famous example is the pub in the city of Nottingham called “Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem”, which dates back to the year 1189 AD and is probably the oldest pub in England.

However, British pubs are not just for kings and queens; they welcome people from all classes and parts of society. On a cold night, the pub’s landlord or landlady can always find a warm place for you by the fire. There is always honest and hearty food and plenty of drink available at an affordable price.

That’s how things used to be. Things are beginning to change. It is said that the credit crunch(信贷紧缩) is causing 39 British pubs a week to go out of business. People do not have enough spare money to spend on beer. Recently, the UK government banned smoking in all pubs, and that may also have affected the number of customers going to pubs.

This decline is happening despite the fact that in 2005 the UK government started to allow pubs to stay open after 1l pm. Previously, with 1l pm as closing time, customers would have to drink quite quickly, meaning they sometimes got more drunk than they would if allowed to drink slowly. The British habit of drinking a lot very quickly is known as “binge drinking”, and it causes long-term health problems for people and problems with violent crime for communities.

In order to save their businesses, pubs are trying to change with the market. British pubs now offer something for everyone. A lot of pubs used to be “Working Men's Clubs”, meaning that women could not usually enter. Today, however, women can freely enter 99% of pubs without experiencing any problems. Perhaps things are changing for the better after all.

1..  The passage mainly tells us something about       

A. the past and present of British pubs     B. the decline of British pubs

   C. the long history of British pubs         D. the importance of British pubs

2..  Which may not be the cause of the decline of British pubs?

A. The credit crunch.          B. The present closing time.

   C. The ban of smoking.         D. Having no spare money.

3... We can infer from the passage that       

   A. British people used to like drinking slowly

   B. closing the pubs early will reduce social problems

   C. binge drinking means drinking less beer

D. British government aims to discourage people from binge drinking

4..  We can see from the last paragraph that the author ________

  A. is against the admission of too many women to the pubs

   B. holds an optimistic attitude towards the British pubs

   C. thinks that women in the pubs will cause less social problems

   D. thinks that British pubs should offer everything you need

Chinese mainland's star-making reality TV show "Happy Boy" will not be open to male applicants from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau or other foreign cities, said the country's top TV industry committee yesterday.

Happy Boy is the male version of Super Girl, which is regarded as the Chinese version of American Idol. The girl's event, operated by central China's Hunan TV, drew an audience of 400 million for the final match in 2005. The country's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television approved the male version earlier this month. However, the regulation that only mainland's male applicants are allowed to register was released just days before the application procedure began on Wednesday in Changsha, one of the five mainland cities to hold the contest. The other four includes Chengdu and three undecided cities.

The regulation spoiled Hunan TV's ambition to extend the series to the overseas market, an official with the TV station told the Hunan-based Xiaoxiang Morning yesterday. "My Hero," another star-making reality show by Shanghai's SMG Dragon TV, said it was not informed of the regulation, and it is still receiving foreign applicants, said an official with Dragon TV. A previous regulation by the administration has made clear that televised talent shows can't run for more than six weeks at a time. While the first "Happy Boy" may last for five months, according to a previous report.

Last year there were about 10 influential star-making TV shows across the country, among which those from CCTV, Hunan Satellite TV and SMG's Dragon TV, were the most popular. "Super Girl" ran for almost five months and "My Hero" lasted four months. While the shows have proven popular, they have also earned many complaints from people who say they are crude and not satisfactory.

1. It can be inferred from the passage that _______.

A. Male applicants from Hong Kong won’t be accepted to attend Happy Boy show.

B. It was Hunan TV that made the regulation that they couldn’t accept foreign applicants.

C. American Idol was started earlier than Super Girl.

D. Audience love American Idol better than Happy Boy.

2. Which of the following may best explain the underlined word spoiled in paragraph 3?

A. prevented         B. gave         C. encouraged          D. affected

3. We can safely draw the conclusion that ________.

A. Hunan TV will obey the regulations issued by the administration.

B. not all of the audience think highly of the shows.

C. there were about 10 popular TV shows across the country.

D. Dragon TV broke the regulations on purpose.

4. The relationship between State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and Hunan TV is possibly close to _______.

A. teacher and student                      B. coach and sportsmen

C. father and son                                D. police and criminal

In the office of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, there is a picture of Catherine the Great, the legendary Russian Empress. When asked why she has the picture, Merkel says, “She was a strong woman”. Many say the same of Merkel.

The most powerful woman in the world, according to US Forbes magazine, was in China last week. She came to discuss trade and environmental issues with China’s top leaders. Germany’s first woman leader is known as a brave and practical statesman(政治家). Even since her time at school, she had the habit of getting everything in order. Every day before doing her homework she would clean the desk and think about what to do next. “I prefer a long time for full preparations to make my decision. But once I decide, I will stand up for what I believe,” Merkel said.

Perhaps it was good habits that helped her do well in her studies. At 32, she got a doctorate (博士学位) in physics and then she worked as a researcher.

However, the life of a scholar couldn’t put off her love of politics. While working in labs, Merkel took time off to read political books and at last joined a political party. “Her calmness helped her stand out in the party. She could always find a way out while others felt hopeless,” said one of her old friends.

In her first big political job as Minister for the Environment in 1994, her scientific background proved very useful. In 2005 she became Germany’s youngest chancellor since the second World War.

Now half way through her four-year term, the 53-year-old woman has made a name for herself both in Germany and abroad. At the EU summit in 2005 when France quarreled with Britain over the EU budget(预算), some people believed the EU was close to breaking down. But Merkel didn’t give up. She shuttled(穿梭) between the heads of the two powers and had them reached an agreement.

“Strength comes from composure(镇定) and courage. Many people say I am a strong woman. But I would rather say I have perseverance,” said Merkel.

1. Why does Merkel put a picture of Catherine the Great on the wall of her office?

A. Because Catherine the Great is beautiful.

B. Because Merkel wants to be a strong woman too.

C. Because Merkel likes the drawing skill of it.

D. Because it is very expensive.

2.What is the correct order of the following events?

a. became the German Chancellor

b. got a doctorate in physics and then she worked as a researcher

c. join a political party

d. visit China

e. take part in the EU summit

f. as Minister for the Environment

A. bcafde         B. cbfdae          C. bcfaed           D. cbfaed

3.Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Merkel usually is hurry to make a decision when facing difficulties.

B. At the EU summit in 2005, the relationship between French and Britain was in tension.

C. Merkel is a well-known leader all over the world.

D. She is outstanding because of her calmness.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A. An excellent lecturer                     B. Germany’s iron lady

C. The change of a scholar                D. The youngest chancellor

Photos that you might have found down the back of your sofa are now big business!
In 2005, the American artist Richard Prince’s photograph of a photograph, entitled (Cowboy), was sold for $ 1, 248, 000.
Prince is certainly not the only contemporary artist to have worked with so-called “found photographs”—a loose term given to everything from discarded(丢弃的) prints discovered in a junk shop to old advertisements or amateur photographs from a stranger’s family album. The German artist Joachim Schmid, who believes “basically everything is worth looking at”, has gathered discarded photographs, postcards and newspaper images since 1982. In his on-going project, Archiv, he groups photographs of family life according to themes: people with dogs; teams; new cars; dinner with the family; and so on.
Like Schmid, the editors of several self-published art magazines also champion (捍卫) found photographs. One of them, called simply Found, was born one snowy night in Chicago, when Davy Rothbard returned to his car to find under his wiper(雨刷) an angry note intended for someone else: “Why’s your car HERE at HER place?” The note became the starting point for Rothbard’s addictive publication, which features found photographs sent in by readers, such as a poster discovered in your drawer.
The whole found-photograph phenomenon has raised some questions. Perhaps one of the most difficult is: can these images really be considered as art? And if so, whose art? Yet found photographs produced by artists, such as Richard Prince, may raise endless possibilities. What was the cowboy in Prince’s Untitled doing? Was he riding his horse hurriedly to meet someone? Or how did Prince create this photograph? It’s anyone’s guess. In addition, as we imagine the back-story to the people in the found photographs artists, like Schmid, have collated (整理), we also turn toward our own photographic albums. Why is memory so important to us? Why do we all seek to freeze in time the faces of our children, our parents, our lovers, and ourselves? Will they mean anything to anyone after we’ve gone?
In the absence of established facts, the vast collections of found photographs give our minds an opportunity to wander freely. That, above all, is why they are so fascinating.
【小题1】The first paragraph of the passage is used to _________.