Jane Austen, a famous English writer, was born at Steventon, Hampshire, on December 16,1775, and died on July 18, 1817．She began writing early in life, although the prejudices of her times forced her to have her books published anonymously(匿名)．
But Jane Austen is perhaps the best known and best loved of Bath's many famous local people and visitors．She paid two long visits here during the last five years of the eighteenth century and from 1801 to 1806, Bath was her home．Her deep knowledge of the city is fully seen in two of her novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, which are largely set in Bath．The city is still very much as Jane Austen knew it, keeping in its streets and public buildings the well-ordered world that she described so well in her novels．Now the pleasure of learning Jane Austen's Bath can be enhanced (增强)by visiting the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street．Here, in a Georgian town house in the heart of the city, you can find out more about Bath in Jane Austen's time and the importance of Bath in her life and work．
The Centre has been set up with the help and guidance of members of the Jane Austen Society．After your visit to the Centre, you can look round the attractive shop, which offers a huge collection of Jane Austen related books, cards and many specially designed gifts．Jane Austen quizzes(竞赛)are offered to keep the children busy．
You can also have walking tours of Jane Austen's Bath, which is a great way to find out more about Jane Austen and discover the wonderful Georgian city of Bath．The tour lasts about one and a half hours．The experienced guides will take you to the places where Jane lived, walked and shopped．
(1)
Jane Austen paid two long visits to Bath ________．
[ ]
A．
in her early twenties
B．
in her early teens
C．
in her late twenties
D．
in her late teens
(2)
What can we learn about Bath from the passage?
[ ]
A．
Bath has greatly changed since Jane Austen's death．
B．
The city has changed as much as Jane Austen knew it．
C．
Bath remains almost the same as in Jane Austen's time．
D．
No changes have taken place in Bath since Jane Austen's time．
(3)
The author writes this passage in order to _______．
[ ]
A．
attract readers to visit the city of Bath?
B．
ask readers to buy Austen's books?
C．
tell readers about Jane Austen's experience?
D．
give a brief introduction to the Jane Austen Society?
(4)
It takes you about one and a half hours _______．
[ ]
A．
to get to the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street?
B．
to buy Jane Austen related books, cards and gifts?
If you want to know British culture, you’d better know something about her wedding customs．Here are some very famous, popular rhymes：
Choosing the day
Monday for wealth
Tuesday for health
Wednesday the best day of all
Thursday for losses
Friday for crosses
Saturday for no luck at all
Choosing the month
Married when the year is new, he’ll be loving, kind and true．
When February birds to mate, you wed nor dread your fate．
If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you’ll know．
Marry in April when you can, joy for maiden and for man．
Marry in the month of May, and you’ll surely rue(后悔)the day．
Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you’ll go．
Those who in July do wed, must labour for their daily bread．
Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see．
Marry in September’s shrine, your living will be rich and fine．
If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry(推迟)．
If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember．
When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last．
Wedding dress colour
Married in White, you have chosen right,
Married in Blue, your love will always be true,
Married in Pearl, you will live in whirl(混乱),
Married in Brown, you will live in town,
Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead,
Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow,
Married in Green, ashamed to be seen,
Married in Pink, your spirit will sink,
Married in Grey, you will go far away,
Married in Black, you will wish yourself back．
Surnames
To change the name and not the(first)letter
Is to change for the worst and not the better
(1)
Generally, what day is the busiest wedding day in Britain?
[ ]
A．
Monday
B．
Friday
C．
Wednesday
D．
Saturday
(2)
At a wedding, the bride’s white dress means _________．
[ ]
A．
I’m pure and honest
B．
he’s the very fellow I’m after
C．
he’s lucky to marry me
D．
we’ll live together happily and luckily
(3)
Which of the following is the best date for wedding in UK?
[ ]
A．
Dec．13, 2004/Sat
B．
Sep．5, 2004/Fri
C．
Jan．20, 2004/Thur
D．
Dec．3, 2004/Mon
(4)
What does the last rhyme Surname suggest?
[ ]
A．
You’d better not change your first name for your husband’s．
B．
A family name and a first name are both very important．
C．
It is thought unlucky for a woman to marry a man whose surname begins with the same letter as hers．
D．
The same surname will bring good luck and happiness to the couple at a time when their lives are changing．
阅读理解
Are you interested in the following course? Please read them and make a decision soon．
A．Understanding computers
This twelve-hour course is for people who do not know very much about computers but who need to learn about them．You will learn what computers are，what they can and can’t do，and how to use them．
Course fee：＄75 Jan．7，14，21，28 Sat．9∶00～11∶50a.m.
Equipment fee：＄10．
Joseph Saunders is a professor of computer science at New Urban University．He has over twelve years of experience in the computer field．
B．Stopping smoking
Do you want to stop smoking? Have you already tried to stop smoking using the latest methods? You can stop smoking and this special course will help you do it．
Course fee：＄30 Jan．4，11，18，25 Mon．4∶00～7∶00p.m.
Doctor John Coode is a practicing psychologist who has helped hundreds of people stop smoking．
C．Typing
This course is for these who want to learn to type，as well as those who want to make their typing better．The course is individualized．You are tested in the first class and begin practicing at one of the eight different skill levels．This allows you to learn at your own speed．Each program lasts 20 hours．Bring your own paper．
Course fee：＄125 Material fee：＄25
Two hours each evening for two weeks．This course is taught by a number of best business education teachers who have successfully taught typing course before．
(1)
The typing course is for ________．
[ ]
A．
beginners
B．
skilled typist
C．
unskilled persons
D．
A and C
(2)
If one wants to learn basic computer program，he must pay ________．
[ ]
A．
＄75＋＄10
B．
＄50＋＄10
C．
＄30＋＄25
D．
＄35＋＄25
(3)
According to the ads，if you want to give up smoking，you will need at least ________．
[ ]
A．
twelve hours’ study
B．
some special medicine
C．
pay forty dollars
D．
buy a psychology book
(4)
Everyone taking a typing course can ________．
[ ]
A．
work at his own speed
B．
type fast
C．
learn much more than others
D．
begin practicing at his own level
阅读理解
WASHINGTON–Barack Obama swept to victory as the first black president in the US history Tuesday night in an electoral(选举的)college landslide that overcame racial barriers as old as America itself．"Change has come," he told a huge group of cheering supporters．
In his first speech as victor, Obama stated the challenges ahead．"The greatest of a lifetime," he said, "two wars, a planet in danger, the worst financial crisis in a century．"
He added, "There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can't solve every problem．But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face．"
The son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, the Democratic senator(民主党参议员)from Illinois sealed his historic triumph by defeating Republican Sen．John McCain in a string of wins in hard-fought battleground states－Ohio, Florida, Virginia, Iowa and more．
In his speech, Obama invoked(引用)the words of Lincoln and echoed John F．Kennedy．"So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in(努力投入)and work harder," he said．
He and his running mate, Joseph Biden of Delaware, will take their oaths(宣誓)of office as president and vice president on Jan．20, 2009．
Obama will move into the Oval Office as leader of a country that is almost certainly in recession(不景气), and fighting two long wars, one in Iraq, the other in Afghanistan．
Obama has said his first order of presidential business will be to deal with the economy．He has also promised to withdraw most US combat troops from Iraq within 16 months．
(1)
What is special about Barack Obama, the newly-elected president of America?
[ ]
A．
He has a black father and a white mother．
B．
He is the first black president in the US history．
C．
He defeated Republican Sen．John McCain easily．
D．
He will move into the White Palace on Jan．20, 2009．
(2)
What Obama emphasized in his first speech were ________．
[ ]
A．
dangers
B．
wars
C．
challenges
D．
financial problems
(3)
The first issue Obama will focus his attention on may probably be to ________．
[ ]
A．
withdraw most US combat troops from Iraq
B．
care for environmental protection
C．
declare two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
D．
deal with the problems of economy
(4)
According to the passage, Obama's attitude toward the challenges he faces is ________．
[ ]
A．
positive
B．
negative
C．
ambiguous
D．
worried
阅读理解
Below are some classified ads from an English newspaper．
Classified ads
FOR DIRECT CLASSIFIED SERVICE CALL 800-0557 10 A.M.-4P.M．MONDAY-FRIDAY
FOR SALE
COME to moving sale－Plants, pottery, books, clothes, etc, Sat, Dec．14th, 9a.m.-5p.m.1612 Femdale, Apt．I．800-4696．
USED FUR COATS and JACKETS．Good condition．＄30-＄50．Call 800-0436 after 12 noon．
MOVING：Must sell．TV21, ＄50; AM/FM radio A/C or battery, ＄15; cassette tape recorder, ＄10．Call Jon or Pat, 800-0739 after 5p.m.or weekends．
SHEEPSKIN COAT：man's, size 42, I year old．＄85．After 6 p.m., 800-5224．
LOST AND FOUND
FOUND：Cat, 6 months old, black and white markings．Found near Linden and South U．Steve．800-4661．
LOST：Gold wire rim glasses in brown case．Campus area．Reward．Call Gregg 800-2896．
FOUND：Set of keys on Tappan rear Hill intersection．Identify key chain．Call 800-9662．
FOUND：Nov．8th－A black and white puppy in Packard Jewett area．800-5770．
PERSONAL
OVERSEAS JOBS：Australia, Europe, S．America, Africa．Students all professions and occupations, ＄700 to ＄3000 monthly．Expenses paid, overtime．Sightseeing, Free information at STUDENTS' UNION．
THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER plans to publish a booklet of student travel adventures．If you like to write about your foreign experiences, unusual or just plain interesting．Call 800-9310 and ask for Mike or Janet．
UNSURE WHAT TO DO?
Life-Planning Workshop, Dec, 13th－15th．Bob and Margaret Atwood, 800-0046．
ROOMMATES
FEMALE ROOMMATE
WANTED：Own room near campus．Available December 1st．Rent ＄300 per month until March 1st．＄450 thereafter．Call Jill for details, 800-7839．
NEED PERSON to assume lease for own bedroom in PT．near campus, ＄ 380/mo．Starting Jan．1st, Call 800-6157 after 5p.m．
DOMESTIC SERVICE
EARLY HOUR WAKE-UP SERVICE：For prompt, courteous wake-up service, call 800-0760．
HELP WANTED
BABYSITTER－MY HOME If you are available a few hours during the day, and some evenings to care for 2 school-age children, please call Gayle Morre, days 800-1111, evenings and weekends 800-4964．
PERSONS WANTED for delivery work, Own transportation．Good pay．Apply 2311 E．Stadium．Office 101, after 9 a.m．
view. Drink your cappuccino, join a free guided tour, learn something new about Vancouver and enjoy the view!