Several southwestern provinces in China are now experiencing the worst drought(旱灾) since the 1950s. The drought has left 18 million people and 11 million farm animals in Yunnan, Guangxi, Sichuan and Chongqing without enough water supplies. And it has affected 5 million hectares of crops in the provinces.

According to China’s Meteorological Administration (中国气象局), the average daily temperature in Yunnan over the past six months has been two degrees higher than normal. And the province has had only half the rainfall of an ordinary year. In Qinglong county, Guizhou, there had been no rain for 268 days until March 25, when it finally rained for three hours.

To ensure the safety of drinking water, local governments have taken emergency action. Workers in parts of Yunnan are drilling (钻空) daily in the hope of digging 1035 wells by mid-May. Among them, 52 have already started working and 288 are under way, providing 20 percent of the required drinking water. Meanwhile, Yunnan province intends to send more migrants (农民工) to work outside the province as the drought worsens. This will not only help to deal with the drinking water shortages, but also increase those farmers’ income. The government will offer free skill training and organize job fairs.

56 The word “This” in paragraph 3 refers to______.

A. the worsening drought

B. the shortage of drinking water

C. sending more migrants to work outside

D. providing 20 percent of the required drinking water

57 Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. The drought in southwestern provinces has been the worst ever in China.

B. Guizhou province has had only half the rainfall of an ordinary year.

C. The average temperature in Yunnan is two degrees lower than normal.

D. 1035 wells are expected to be drilled by mid-May in parts of Yunnan.

58 What’s the main idea of the passage?

A. Local governments have taken action to deal with drought.

B. Serious drought hits southwestern provinces in China.

C. More migrants work outside the southwestern provinces.

D.Yunnan government offers free skill training and organizes job fairs.

Chinese tennis player Li Na didn’t win the Australian Open Championship on Saturday, but she still made the history books.

   Li, who lost to Kim Clijsters of Belgium in three sets (3-6, 6-3, 6-3), is the first player from China to make it to a Grand Slam final.

   The boss defeated a bit of the feel-good story for China and for Li, who on Thursday defeated No. 1 player Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals in Melbourne. Li is ranked fifth.

   In an interview Li said she was proud of her effort. “I think I play great tennis,” she said. “ I mean, she plays better than me. After the match, I make a joke: tennis should only play one set.”

   Bai Yan, a member of China’s men’s national team member and Li Na’s friend, said the loss was disappointing, but still a bright starting point.

   “To tell you the truth I feel a little bit down, all of us. But you know she is still the best, and she’s still our hero in everybody’s eyes,” said Bai. “This is just the start.”.

   Win or lose, Li’s appearance in the Australian Open finals was seen as a major victory for tennis in China, where badminton and table tennis rules.

   Fans across China gathered to watch the match. Li’s mother joined fans at a restaurant in her hometown of Wuhan. In Bejing, fans crowded together to watch China’s national tennis match.

   “ Tennis is still relatively a new sport in China,” said Michael Chang, the Chinese-American who was the first Asian grand slam champion, in an interview with CNN. “ To be able to see Li Na have as much success as she has… this could be the start of something very special for tennis in China.”

   “Li will definitely change the sport of tennis in China and that is a great thing,” Chang said.

1. What’s the main idea of the passage?

   A. Chinese tennis star Li Na’s tennis career.

   B. A fierce tennis match at Australian Open.

   C. Chinese tennis star made history at Australian Open.

   D. Chinese tennis remained to be tested and challenged.

2. Which is true according to the passage?

A. Li Na’s failure let the Chinese down.        

B. Li Na ranked fifth at Australian Open.

C. LI Na’s mother attended the match with her.   

D. Li Na made a new starting point of China

3.What’s the meaning of the underlined words “tennis should only play one set” (Para 4)?

   A. Li Na was not satisfied with the rule of tennis match.

   B. Li Na was not satisfied with her own performance.

   C. Li Na had a bad opinion of Clijsters.

   D. Li Na took pride in her effort.

4.According to what Chang said in the last two paragraphs, we can imply that ________.

   A. it’s normal that Li Na failed because tennis is a new sport in China

   B. Li Na has the advantage to change tennis sport in China

   C. China still falls behind other countries in tennis sport

   D. Li Na has great difficulty in defeating others because of weak ability

GAOMI,  Shandong, Oct．11（ Xinhua）—Chinese writer Mo Yan said last Thursday that he was "very surprised" at winning the Nobel Literature Prize．

Speaking to reporters at a hotel in his hometown Gaomi city in east China's Shandong Province, Mo said, "（I was）very surprised upon winning the prize because I felt I was not very senior in terms of qualification（among Chinese writers）．There are many good writers and my ranking was not so high．"

"I am very happy," he said．"I was having dinner when I received the news．I was surprised．”

"Thank you for coming all the way to Gaomi．This should be a season of red sorghum, but no such crop is planted any more．I believe none of you have seen the crop," he said．

"The Nobel Literature Prize is a very important literature prize, but not the top award．It represents the opinions of the jury（评审团 ）．I am satisfied with my major works and I still keep writing by hand．My works are Chinese literature, which is part of world literature．They show the life of Chinese people as well as the country's unique culture and folk customs．Meanwhile, my novels described human beings in the broad sense．I wrote in the perspective of a human being．These works stand beyond regions and ethnic groups," he said．

"The folk arts and folk culture accompanied my growth and I was influenced by the cultural elements I witnessed through my childhood．When I picked up the pen for literature creation, the folk cultural elements inevitably entered my novels and affected and even determined the artistic styles of my works," he added．

Mo's win brought joy to other writers and readers throughout the country as he is the first Chinese national to win the Nobel Literature Prize in its century--long history．

Born into a farmer's family in a village in Gaomi, Mo has been known since the late 1980s for his novels such as Big Breasts and Wide Hips and Red Sorghum, which was later adapted into a film by director Zhang Yimou．

1.Mo Yan was surprised at winning the Nobel Prize because he felt        ．

A．he was not the best writer in China

B．he was not as famous as other writers

C．he was born in a farmer's family

D．he didn't have good education

2.By reading Mo Yan's works, we can               ．

A．increase our sense of national pride

B．learn a lot about the Chinese folk culture

C．form a vivid picture of his childhood

D．learn more about the history of the Nobel Prize

3.Which of the following words can best describe Mo Yan?

A．romantic                              B．self--confident

C．modest                               D．humorous

4.Where might you find the article?

A．In a novel．                           B．In a travel book．

C．In a student book．                      D．In a newspaper．

I wish there would be a way to describe China in simple terms but that’s impossible. For the most part Chinese people are friendly, easy-going and optimistic. They are curious and unusually patient and they are also the hardest-working people I have ever met.

In China, family is everything. In my English classes when the students were asked what they would do if they only had a few hours to live, most students told me how they would spend their last few hours with their families and parents. Many times the subjects in the classes center on families and friends. I teach many students a year, talking to them freely.

The cost of living here is very low compared with that of the US. The city of Xiang Fan I live in isn’t large and I live better. Non-imported(非出口的) foods are very cheap, so are clothing and articles of everyday use. The cost of public transportation is very low, too. Chinese value education. However, it is reported that many children can’t afford the expenses of schooling and are forced to leave school in some poor area in China. But they organized Project Hope many years age. It creates conditions for the poor children to go back to school. In my opinion, Project Hope is of great importance to the development of the rural education.

When we read news of China in the west, rarely, if ever, will we see anything mentioned of the positive changes China has gone through. While it is true that economic miracles have not reached many areas of China, but we also have the same problems.

When I am asked which country I consider better. China or the US, my answer has always been the same, “We are not worse or better than each other, we are only different.”

1.What does the author think of Chinese people?

A. He thinks most Chinese people hardly work.

B. He thinks most Chinese people are proud.

C. He praises most Chinese people a lot.

D. He dislikes most Chinese people.

2.What is the author doing in China?

A. He is visiting the places of interest.

B. He is teaching English in a school.

C. He is studying in a college.

D. He is on business.

3.What are not cheap in China in the author’s opinion?

A. Clothes and shoes made in China.        B. Local foods

C. Public transportation tickets.            D. Imported foods

4.We can infer from the passage that the author thinks________.

A. the westerners have got to know China well

B. China’s economic miracles have appeared everywhere

C. the progress of China is seldom reported in the US

D. the education in rural areas is never cared about in China

5.In the author’s eyes,________.

A. China is different from the US

B. China is better than the US

C. Americans are richer than Chinese

D. China bears great similarities to the US

    14 days for just ￡2090 pp

    Fully inclusive from the UK

    Price covers：International airfares，departure taxes，fuel charges，local transportation，accommodation，all meals，entrance fees，guides，daily tours and visas for UK citizens.

    ◆Days 1­-3：UK­—Shanghai

    Fly to the great city of Shanghai and in the evening, sample traditional Shanghai food. Visit the beautiful Yu Gardens，Old Town，Shanghai Museum，cross the Great Nanpu Bridge and tour the Pudong area .Also explore Xintiandi with its 1920's style Shikumen buildings and end your stay in Shanghai with an amazing Huangpu River evening tour.

    ◆Days 4-­7：Shanghai­­—Yangtze River Tour

    Fly to Yichang and change (approx.one hour)to board your Yangtze River ship for the next four nights. Enjoy a tour of the Three Gorges Dam(三峡大坝)before sailing on the grand Yangtze River，passing through the impressive Three Gorges. We take a side trip to the Lesser Three Gorges or travel up the Shennong Stream in a peapod boat and enjoy various shore trips along the way.

     ◆Day 8：Chongqing­—­Chengdu

    Get off in Chongqing and drive to Chengdu for an overnight stay.

    ◆Days  9­-10：Chengdu­—­Xi'an

   Visit the famous Panda Reserve to see the lovely animals. We then fly to the historic city of Xi'an for two nights' stay and enjoy traditional Shuijiao. Next day explore one of the most important discoveries of the 20th Century—the Terracotta Warriors(兵马俑)，followed by the ancient City Wall and a performance of Tang Dynasty dancing.

    ◆Days 11-­13：Xi'an­ ­—Beijing

Visit Little Wild Goose Pagoda and see the ancient objects at the well-­known Shaanxi Provincial Museum before walking through the lively Muslim Quarter to see the Great Mosque. Later fly to Beijing for three nights' stay and try Peking Duck.During our stay in Beijing，we stroll through Tian'anmen Square to the Forbidden City，the largest and best preserved collection of ancient buildings in China，and visit the Summer Palace. Next day we take a walk on the Great Wall，tour the unique Temple of Heaven and enjoy an attractive Chinese Acrobatic Show.（杂技）    

◆Day 14：Beijing­—UK

    Fly back to the UK，arriving home later the same day filled with happy memories.

1.The underlined word “sample” in the passage probably means “______”．

A．buy           B．reserve         C．taste        D．make

2.The first and last scenic spots to be visited in Xi'an are______.

A．the Terracotta Warriors and the Great Mosque

B．the Terracotta Warriors and Shaanxi Provincial Museum

C．Little Wild Goose Pagoda and the Great Mosque

D．Little Wild Goose Pagoda and the Muslim Quarter

3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the ad?

A．The tourists will have to pay extra for fuel and meals.

B．The tourists will visit the 1920's Shikumen buildings in Beijing.

C．The tourists will take a side trip to the Three Gorges Dam during the tour.

D．The tourists will stay in Beijing for three nights before leaving for the UK.

4.The ad is mainly intended to______.

A．encourage the British to travel in China

B．attract the British to traditional Chinese food

C．offer services of booking air tickets to tourists

D．provide the British with a better understanding of China