Whether I’m looking for a good chat with some old Mends or a quiet place to meet a colleague, the pub will be the place I always choose.

I could, of course, go to a bar. But a pub, I always find, is far more comfortable and has a more relaxed atmosphere.

Many people in the UK also have a favorite pub at the end of the road where they live or nearby to where they work. I can almost always guarantee that I’ll bump into someone I know at my “local”, as we British call our nearest pub.

In fact, many people from the UK say that the pub is a cornerstone (基础) of British life. Coming together over a drink, usually of beer, is generally con­sidered the best way to catch up with friends. For those who are a little reserved (内向的), as the British sometimes are, it’s the best way to open up and get chatting.

However, this habit is slowly changing among some British people. According to a survey completed in August by UK trade magazine The Publican, eating, rather than drinking, has become the main source of income for our 52,000 pubs.

The gastropub (美食酒吧), with its greater emphasis on food, is primarily responsible. All over the country, this more expensive type of pub has been springing up, providing a place for more formal meetings with business partners. Wine is often drunk instead of the traditional beer.

But not everyone’s happy. Many people hate the fact that some local pubs are closing because new gastropubs are proving more profitable. “Beer sales are sinking and many pubs are struggling to survive,” Rob Haward, of the British Beer and Pub Association, told UK newspaper The Daily Mail.

For my part, I’m going to do all I can to keep the local British pub alive. It will be the first place I visit when I go back home.

1..   The article is mainly about         .

A. the British pub losing popularity             B. the author’s love of pubs

C. how the British socialize                     D. the local British pub

2..  Many British people say that the pub is a cornerstone of British life because         .

A. it is nearby and convenient

B. it is a great place for meeting friends

C. it is far more comfortable than a bar to have a drink

D. it is easy to bump into people they know in a pub ,

3..  From the text, we can conclude that gastropubs         .

A. will replace the local pubs

B. attach more importance to drinks

C. are somewhere between a restaurant and a bar

D. attract beer lovers as well as wine lovers

4..   Which of the following is TRUE according to the article?

A. The author is in favor of gastropubs.

B. Wine is thought to show one’s class and taste.

C. British people do not go to pubs as often as be­fore.

D. Local pubs are being seriously affected by gastropubs.

March, April and May are months full of festivals and events all over the world. Here are some wonderful festivals around the world that happen in spring.

SongKran--Thailand

Dates: 13th-15th, April

In Thailand, it’s time to celebrate the coming monsoon season, which will bring the rain many people have been looking forward to. They celebrate it with a festival called Songkran，when people head out to the streets with water guns to spray(喷，洒）everyone who walks past. If you walk on the streets where the festival is celebrated, prepare to get soaked!

Naghol--Vanuatu

Dates: Every Saturday from April to May

Every year, villagers come together to celebrate the harvest of yams, an important part in the people’s diet in Vanuatu. The festival is most famous for its “land di ving ceremony”. During the ceremony men and boys dive to the ground from high wooden towers with only two thin vines(藤条) attached(附于)to their ankles(脚踝）. The divers’ heads have to lightly touch the ground when they jump---something very dangerous if the vines are not measured（测量）properly.

Cherry Blossom Viewing ---Japan

Dates: The cherry blossom season is different from year to year depending on the weather forecast.

The cherry blossom season has huge importance to the people of Japan, who celebrate the days when the flowers finally blossom. Only a few days later, the petals(花瓣） fall to the ground, like pink snowflakes. This is one of the most beautiful things to see. In Japan, almost everyone has picnics in the parks to view the flowers.

Sinhalese New Year--Sri Lanka

Dates: 13th or 14th, April

Just like in many other countries in South an South East Asia, this is the time when the Sinhalese celebrate the traditional New Year, an ancient celebration which marks the end of the harvest season and is one of two times of the year when the sun is straight above Sri Lanka. There are a lot of delicious foods during the celebration.

1.What does the underlined word “soaked” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A. tired       B. wet      C. crazy       D. interested

2.The writer thinks that the “land diving ceremony” can be dangerous for the divers because ___________.

A. the divers may fall onto the ground if the thin vines break

B. the divers may bump into （撞在…上）the wooden tower on the way down

C. the divers’ ankles may get injured if the vines are tied too tightly

D. the divers may injure their heads if the vines aren’t measured properly

3.. We can learn from the passage that__________________.

A. the Cherry Blossom Celebration usually lasts a  long time in Japan

B. the Cherry Blossom Celebration is the most important festival in Japan

C. the time for the Cherry Blossom Celebration in Japan can be different yearly

D. people usually stay at home for celebration during the cherry blossom season

It was a very foggy day in London. The fog was so thick that it was impossible to see more than a foot or so. Buses, cars and taxis were not able to run and were standing by the side of the road. People were trying to find their way about on foot but were losing their way in the fog. Mr. Smith had a very important meeting at the House of Commons and had to get there but no one could take him. He tried to walk there but found he was quite lost. Suddenly he bumped into a stranger. The stranger asked if he could help him. Mr. Smith said he wanted to get to the Houses of Parliament. The stranger told him he would take him there. Mr. Smith thanked him and they started to walk there. The fog was getting thicker every minute but the stranger had no difficulty in finding the way. He went along one street, turned down another, crossed a square and at last after about half an hour’s walk they arrived at the Houses of Parliament. Mr. Smith couldn’t understand how the stranger found his way. “It is wonderful,” he said. “How do you find the way in the fog?”
“It is no trouble at all to me,” said the stranger, “I am blind.”
【小题1】According to the passage, we can infer that “bump into” means _______.

I was fifteen months old, a happy, carefree kid until the day I fell．It was a bad fall．I landed on a glass rabbit which cut my eye badly enough to blind it．Trying to save the eye, the doctors stitched the eyeball together where it was cut, leaving a big ugly scar in the middle of my eye．And as I grew, this sightless eye in so many ways controlled me．

         Yet Mama would say to me, at every turn, "Hold your head up high and face the world．" It became a litany that I relied on．She had started when I was young．She would hold me in her arms and stroke my hair and say, "If you hold your head up high, it will be okay, and people will see your beautiful soul．" She continued this message whenever I wanted to hide．

         Those words have meant different things to me over the years．As a little child, I thought Mama meant; "Be careful or you will fall down or bump into something because you are not looking．" As an a dolescent, even though I tended to look down to hide my shame, I found that sometimes when I held my head up high and let people know me, they lilted me．My mama's words helped me begin to realize that by letting people look at my face, I let them recognize the intelligence and beauty behind both eyes even if they couldn't see it on the surface．

         In high school I was successful both academically and socially．I was even elected class president, but on the inside I still felt like a freak．Ail I really wanted was to look like everyone else．When things got really bad, I would cry to my mama and she would look at me with loving eyes and say, "Hold your head up high and face the world．Let them see the beauty that is inside．"

         When I met the man who became my partner for life, we looked each other straight in the eye, and he told me I was beautiful inside and out．He meant it．My mama's love and encouragement were the spark that gave me the confidence to overcome my own doubt．I had faced adversity, encountered my problems head on, and learned not only to appreciate myself but to have deep compassion for others．

         "Hold your head up high," has been heard many times in my home．Each of my children has felt its invitation．The gift my mama gave me lives on in another generation．

1.How did the writer have her eyes hurt?

         A．She was attacked by a glass rabbit．             B．Her eyes were hurt by accident．

         C．The doctor made a mistake．              D．A serious illness blinded her．

2.When she heard her mother told her to hold her head up high for the first time, she_____．

         A．didn't fully understand these words

         B．was greatly encouraged and moved

         C．was puzzled by these words

         D．was surprised by these words

3.Why did the writer still feel unhappy when she was successful both academically and socially?

         A．Because she was not satisfied with what she has．

         B．Because she thought she could have done better．

         C．Because she wanted to live a normal life．

         D．Because she really wanted to be different．

4.What is the point of the story?

         A．A mother's love for a daughter is a treasure．

         B．One should not be controlled by others．

         C．The real beauty is inside out．

         D．Where there is a will．there is a way．

I was fifteen months old, a happy, carefree kid until the day I fell．It was a bad fall．I landed on a glass rabbit which cut my eye badly enough to blind it．Trying to save the eye, the doctors stitched the eyeball together where it was cut, leaving a big ugly scar in the middle of my eye．And as I grew, this sightless eye in so many ways controlled me．

       Yet Mama would say to me, at every turn, "Hold your head up high and face the world．" It became a litany that I relied on．She had started when I was young．She would hold me in her arms and stroke my hair and say, "If you hold your head up high, it will be okay, and people will see your beautiful soul．" She continued this message whenever I wanted to hide．

       Those words have meant different things to me over the years．As a little child, I thought Mama meant; "Be careful or you will fall down or bump into something because you are not looking．" As an a dolescent, even though I tended to look down to hide my shame, I found that sometimes when I held my head up high and let people know me, they lilted me．My mama's words helped me begin to realize that by letting people look at my face, I let them recognize the intelligence and beauty behind both eyes even if they couldn't see it on the surface．

       In high school I was successful both academically and socially．I was even elected class president, but on the inside I still felt like a freak．Ail I really wanted was to look like everyone else．When things got really bad, I would cry to my mama and she would look at me with loving eyes and say, "Hold your head up high and face the world．Let them see the beauty that is inside．"

       When I met the man who became my partner for life, we looked each other straight in the eye, and he told me I was beautiful inside and out．He meant it．My mama's love and encouragement were the spark that gave me the confidence to overcome my own doubt．I had faced adversity, encountered my problems head on, and learned not only to appreciate myself but to have deep compassion for others．

       "Hold your head up high," has been heard many times in my home．Each of my children has felt its invitation．The gift my mama gave me lives on in another generation．

How did the writer have her eyes hurt?

       A．She was attacked by a glass rabbit．          B．Her eyes were hurt by accident．

       C．The doctor made a mistake．            D．A serious illness blinded her．

When she heard her mother told her to hold her head up high for the first time, she_____．

       A．didn't fully understand these words

       B．was greatly encouraged and moved

       C．was puzzled by these words

       D．was surprised by these words

Why did the writer still feel unhappy when she was successful both academically and socially?

       A．Because she was not satisfied with what she has．

       B．Because she thought she could have done better．

       C．Because she wanted to live a normal life．

       D．Because she really wanted to be different．

What is the point of the story?

       A．A mother's love for a daughter is a treasure．

       B．One should not be controlled by others．

       C．The real beauty is inside out．

       D．Where there is a will．there is a way．