Easter Sunday, which falls on April 4th this year, dates back nearly 2,000 years. It is celebrated by hundreds
of millions of people around the world. For my family, it is considered the greatest holiday of the year.
     Every Easter my brothers and I would wake up early and, like Christmas morning, run downstairs to see
what surprises were waiting for us. We were always excited when the Easter Bunny (兔子), who is like Father
Christmas, came and left us a basket of candy. It's wonderful. It is like there is a miracle every Easter morning. 
    Our mother, however, would not let us eat the chocolates like we wanted. The chocolate bunnies, and candy
eggs would have to wait. Instead, we would have to get dressed in our new clothes.
    Then my family would go to church. After church we would go to an elder family members' house for a
feast (盛会). My mother's family came to the US from Eastern Europe, so we would often eat many traditional
dishes. My favorite was ham and a special potato salad. We usually had 20 or more family members at the
dinner. 
    After dinner my cousins, brothers and I would go outside. While we were sleeping the night before, our
parents had hidden plastic eggs throughout the back yard. We would always have a contest to see who could
find the most eggs. The winner would get a prize. It was our annual Easter Egg Hunt. Sometimes, in summer,
we would discover an egg we missed on Easter.

1. When does Easter come this year?

A. On April the fourth.
B. The last Sunday.
C. Nearly 2000 years ago.
D. Untold.

2. Who does the writer expect to come every Easter?

A. Father Christmas.
B. The Easter Bunny.
C. His cousins.
D. His relatives from Europe.

3. In what order would the following happen?
   a. We would have a big get-together.                 b. We would go to church.
   c. We would dress ourselves in new clothes.      d. Our parents would hide plastic eggs in the backyard.
   e. We would have Easter Egg Hunt.

A. b-a-d-e-f
B. c-b-a-d-e
C. d-c-b-a-e
D. d-c-e-b-a

4. Which of the following is NOT true about Easter?

A. Easter falls on April 4th every year.
B. Children usually get a basket of candy on that day.
C. People often have a family dinner.
D. Traditional food like ham and salad is served.

5. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A. An introduction to Easter.
B. Easter traditions.
C. A moving story.
D. An Easter Egg Hunt.

    Different countries and different people have different manners. We must find out their customs, so that they
will not think us ill-mannered. Here are examples of the things that a well-educated person does o  1   does not
do.
    If you visit a Chinese family, you should knock at the door f  2   . When the door opens, you will not move
before the host s  3  ,  "Come in, please." After you enter the room, you should not sit down u  4   the host asks
you to take a seat. When a cup of tea is put on a tea table before you or s  5   to your hand, you will say, "Thank
you." And receive it with two h  6  , or they will think you are ill-mannered. Before e  7   a house in Japan, it is
good to take off your shoes. In European (欧洲的) counties, even though shoes sometimes become very d  8  ,
this is not done. In a Malay (马来西亚的) house, a guest never finishes food on the table. He always l  9   a little
to show that he has had enough. In England, a guest always finishes a drink or the food to show that he has
enjoyed it. This will make the host, e  10   the hostess pleased. So it's interesting and useful to understand the
manners.

        Started in 1636 , Harvard University is the oldest of all the many colleges and universities in the United
States . Yale , Princeton , Columbia and Dartmouth were opened soon after Harvard .
        In the early years , these schools were much similar . Only young men went to colleges . All the students
studied the same subjects , and everyone learned Latin , Greek and Hebrew . Little was known about science
then , and one kind of school could teach everything that was known about the world . When the students left
school , most of them became ministers or teachers .
        In 1782 , Harvard started a medical school for young men who wanted to become doctors . Later, lawyers
could receive their training in Harvard's law school . In 1825 , besides Latin and Greek , Harvard began teaching
modern languages , such as French and German . Soon it began teaching American history .
        As knowledge increased , Harvard and other colleges began to teach many new subjects . Students were all
owed to choose the subjects that interested them .
        Today , there are many different kinds of colleges and universities . Most of them are made up of smaller
schools that deal with (涉及) special fields of learning . There's so much to learn that one kind of school can't
offer it all .

1. The oldest university in the US is           .

A. Columbia
B. Harvard
C. Princeton
D. Yale

2. From the second paragraph, we can see that in the early years,            .

3. Modern languages that Harvard taught in 1825 were              .

A. Latin and Greek
B. French and German
C. American history and German
D. Latin , Greek , French and German

4. As knowledge increased, colleges began to teach               .

A. many new subjects
B. law and something about medicine
C. everything that was known
D. the subjects that interested students

5. On the whole, the passage is about              .

A. how to start a university
B. how colleges have changed
C. the world-famous colleges in America
D. what kind of lesson each college teaches

     Do you remember when your grandma told you the story of Snow White? Ah, the happy days of
childhood! 
     But did you know that Snow White comes from Germany? It's just one story from the 209 in Grimm's
Fairy Tales (《格林童话》). The Grimm brothers started to collect fairy tales in 1806. Their first book
came out in 1812.
     Why are German fairy tales so interesting? Maybe it's because they come from a great place famous for
its stories-the Black Forest.
     The Black Forest is in southwest Germany. It's the largest forest in the country-and one of the most
beautiful. It's famous for its trees and lovely views. There are valleys and waterfalls (瀑布) there. It's a good
place to start a story.
     Don't forget to bring something back if you visit. People there are good at making clocks, musical
instruments and watches.

1. From the story, we know that ____ is the hometown of Snow White.

A. England
B. Japan
C. America
D. Germany

2. How long had the Grimm brothers been collecting stories?

A. Four years
B. Five years
C. Six years
D. Seven years

3. From the story, we cannot guess that the Black Forest is very ____.

A. large
B. beautiful
C. boring
D. famous

4. The story mainly tells us ____.

A. who wrote the story of Snow White
B. some things about Black Forest
C. people should visit Germany
D. Snow White is a very famous fairy tale.

     For some people, it's easy to get dressed for work. Pilots and police officers, for example, don't have
to make decisions about their work clothes. They wear uniforms to work every day.
     For many office workers, however, it is more difficult to choose clothes for work. They do not wear
uniforms to the office. Also, many organizations are changing their dress codes. They are allowing their
employees (员工) to wear casual clothes to work. 
    The change to casual (随意的) work clothes began in the 1990s. At first, many companies (公司) in
the United States allowed employees to wear casual clothes on one day of the week - Friday. Friday became
"Casual Friday" or "Dress-down Friday". Today, however, many companies are allowing their employees
to wear casual clothes every day of the week.
     Why are companies allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? Some studies show that people
are producing and achieving more when they are wearing comfortable clothes. Some companies also like
the casual dress code because they don't need to buy special clothes for work. They can save money this
way.
     Unfortunately, a casual dress code can also cause problems. Sometimes employees dress too casually.
They think they can wear anything. Many companies have rules (要求) about casual clothes. They list the
kinds of clothes that are not "business-casual" clothes. Blue jeans, sandals, and sportswear are examples
of clothes that are usually too casual for the office.

1. What do pilots and police officers wear to work?

A. Casual clothes.
B. Sportswear.
C. Blue jeans.
D. Uniforms.

2. What does "a dress code" mean?

A. It tells what you can do and can't do.
B. It is a rule about what clothes to wear.
C. It saves a lot of money.
D. It shows you what to say at work.

3. "Dress-down Friday" is a day when employees are allowed to           .

A. eat delicious food
D. have smart uniforms on
C. wear casual clothes to work
D. work longer hours

4. Why do some companies agree to the casual dress code?

A. They don't need to buy special clothes for work.
B. It is difficult for them to choose clothes for work.
C. They don't like the same uniform.
D. It is easy for them to make decisions about work clothes.

5. What problems can a casual dress code cause according to the passage?

A. Employees seldom wear comfortable clothes.
B. Usually employees put on expensive clothing.
C. Employees always have too little on themselves.
D. Sometimes employees dress too casually.

A.        B.        C.        D.
1. People celebrate it in memory of the famous nurse, Florence Nightingale. _______
2. On that day, many families eat mooncakes outside in the open air. They often tell the story Chang'e. _______
3. In western countries children often put stockings at the end of their beds because Father Christmas will come
    to fill the stockings with nice presents. _______
4. In October in Canada and in November in the United States, people celebrate the harvest by preparing a large
    meal. They usually taste turkeys. _______
5. Can you write down one of your favourite holidays or festivals? Try, please. _______
 （请用英语写一个你喜欢的名称，请不要重复上面的节日。）

                                                                 Taohuayuan
    It lies in Taoyuan County and is 23 km away from Changde. The temples here were built in the 10th
century. During the reign (统治) of Guangxu (1875-1908) of the Qing Dynasty, a scenic spot (景点)
appeared according to the article "On the Land of Peach (桃) Flowers" written by Tao Yuanming, a famous
writer of the Jin Dynasty. The tour area today is made up of four parts－the Taohua Mountain, the
Taohualing Hill, the Taoyuan Mountain and the Qinren Village. 
                                                            Changde Poem Wall
    Changde Poem Wall is a 3-kilometer-long riverbank alongside the Yuanjiang River, which is engraved
(雕刻) with poems, handwriting and painting and it is listed as the longest wall with engraved arts in
Guinness Record.

1. ______ has the largest population among these countries.

A. Italy
B. Australia
C. China

2. If you want to visit Big Ben (大本钟), you should travel to ______.

A. Rome
B. London
C. Beijing

3. You can visit ______ in the country with the smallest population.

A. the Opera House
B. the Great Wall
C. the Leaning Tower of Pisa (比萨斜塔)

4. From the form, you can find ______ in Western Europe.

A. one country
B. two countries
C. three countries

5. Which of the following is TRUE according to the information in the form?

A. Australia and Britain aren't English-speaking countries.
B. Rome is a city in Southern Europe.
C. Canberra is the capital of Italy.

    The confident (自信的), lovely and witty Haibao is the mascot (吉祥物) of the 2010 Shanghai Expo
(世博会). Its name means (意思) "treasure of the sea", Haibao's blue color represents (代表) the water. Its hair
is like a wave (波浪) in the sea. It waves hello to show the warm welcome to friends all over the world.

1. What's the name of the mascot of the 2010 Shanghai Expo?

A. Sea
B. Treasure
C. Haibao
D. Water

2. What color is the mascot?

A. Red
B. Blue
C. Black
D. Yellow

3. What does "show the warm welcome" mean?

A. 表示热烈欢迎
B. 表示温暖的天气
C. 表示热情欢送
D. 表示温暖的海水

    One thing that British and Chinese cultures share is a love for fine tea. Today, when we think of Western
tea culture, we often think of the English and beautiful china tea cups.
Afternoon tea 
    People believe that an English lady, Anna, first introduced the idea of afternoon tea. In the 18th and 19th
centuries, the English ate only two main meals each day-breakfast and a heavy supper that would last for
several hours in the evening. As a result, people often got very hungry during the long wait between these
two meals. To solve this problem, Anna came up with the clever idea of inviting some friends to join her for
an afternoon meal between four and five o'clock. This meal included cakes and sandwiches, and tea was
served to wash down the food. In order to make this afternoon meal important, fine china cups and plates,
and sliver teapots, knives, forks and spoons were used. Soon, afternoon tea parties became popular social
occasions. Today, afternoon tea parties continue to play an important part in the social life in modern Britain.
Will you come for coffee? 
     Coffee also has an important role in British culture. People often use the words "Will you come for coffee?"
to mean "Would you like to come to my home for a chat (聊天)?" Normally, several different drinks such as
tea, hot chocolate or a soft drink like orange juice will be served as well as coffee, and you will be asked what
you would like. However, you will not normally be served wine at a "coffee" party.
Coffeehouses and the London Stock Exchange
     In the 17th century London, coffeehouses were busy and noisy places. Businessmen and bankers went to
coffeehouses to do their business, as well as to drink coffee. In fact, the London Stock Exchange
(股票交易所) is believed to have started from these coffeehouses.

1. Anna introduced the idea of drinking afternoon tea because she           .

A. enjoyed chatting with her friends at home
B. loved fine tea and beautiful china tea cups
C. wanted to share nice food with her friends
D. found people felt hungry during the long wait between the two meals

2. What does "social occasions" mean in Chinese?

A. 集体婚礼
B. 社交活动
C. 社区表演
D. 公共场合

3. If someone says to you "Will you come for coffee?", you           .

A. will be offered coffee only
B. are asked what you would like to drink
C. will be asked to have a chat with him or her
D. are invited to take part in an afternoon tea party

4. From the last paragraph we can see           .

A. a new business was started in coffeehouses
B. coffeehouses are still used by businessmen and bankers
C. businessmen and bankers went to coffeehouses just for coffee
D. most people wouldn't like to go to coffeehouses because of the noise

5. Which is the best title of the article?

A. British And Chinese Cultures
B. The Beginning Of Tea And Coffee
C. Coffeehouses And Business
D. English Tea And Coffee Culture