— At the end of the day we can gather our guests to enjoy fine wine.

— You seem to be getting off the point. How is that _______ to this discussion?

A. suitable                                     B. tentative                          C. parallel                    D. relevant

请认真阅读下面对话，并根据各题所给首字母的提示，在答题卡上标有题号的横线上，写出一个英语单词的完整、正确形式、使对话通顺。

W: Where are you going to s__1._ your holiday this year, Bob?

M: We may go a__2._, but I’m not sure.

W: What do you mean?

M: Well, my wife’s talking about Egypt recently. She may want to go there. I’d like to go there, too.

W: Yes, it’s an interesting country to see.

M: But we can’t make up our m3.yet. You know, a round trip to Egypt c__4. a lot.

W: But you may go by sea.

M: You’re right. It’s cheaper, isn’t it?

W: You may s__5.__ at least half of the money if you go by ship.

M: But don’t you think it would t_6._ a long time and…

W: But you can enjoy the scene of the sea and the r___7.__ sun.

M: Yes, I’ll tell my wife.

W: You will definitely enjoy y__8.___, I’m sure.

M: Don’t be so sure. We may not go anywhere.

W: You always hesitate at everything.

M: It’s not my f__9.__, you know. Wife always worries too much.

W: Like what?

M: Well… Who is going to look after the house? Who is going to look after the garden? And who is going to look after

the pets? We have these p_10.__ every year. And in the end we stay at home and look after everything.

Now that final exams are history, you seem to have that extra bounce. After all, winter  1   awaits you. Get off that couch and begin the more productive life you should be living  2    our help.

Spring Festival is a  3    time to test the bonds of romance, say, with a trip to France. This idea came to Su Enlu and his girlfriend one day. They were talking about the  4    of a weekend trip when Su said, half-jokingly, that they might just go to France.

 5     doing some online research and talking with people who'd been there, they decided to take the plunge. To prepare for it, they read French history and tested each other in  6     French language.

This has been one of the happiest  7     in our three-year relationship, said Su, a 22-year-old English major at the University of International Business and Economics.

Su saw no problem with asking his parents to  8     the trip for about 10,000 yuan from each side. "I'm seizing the day," he said. "Later, when I have that  9     money, I might not have time to enjoy it."

The couple  10     been to foreign countries. But in order to secure a visa, they went for travel agency to take care of their  11    . Moreover, they asked friends who study in France to be their contact person and arrange some cheap   12   during their stay abroad to save money as much as they can.

Some students, like 19-year-old freshman Nan Zhichao, have decided to use the winter holiday to get some  13    . Nan and a group of classmates are going on their own cycling tour of Hainan.

The Huazhong University of Science and Technology information major  14     the whole project himself. From booking accommodations   15    collecting mechanical supplies, to studying the weather forecast, to drawing out the route for each day, Nan worked hard to  16     every detail was right.

This trip is not only about pushing our limits,  17     about looking for adventure, said Nan. "It's also a testament to being adults, and part of a new generation of college students."

Now in Hainan, Nan's team is pedaling  18     in T-shirts and shorts, shedding some of the  19     they gained during the fall semester, and strengthening the bond of their friendships. Said Nan: "We now know each other more than we used to, even  20     months of living together."

(   ) 1. A. snow                 B. cold                        C. vacation           D. season

(   ) 2. A. to                             B. for                          C. at                     D. with

(   ) 3. A. great                  B. bad                         C. useful               D. helpful

(   ) 4. A. choice               B. possibility               C. break                      D. rest

(   ) 5. A. Before                      B. Within                     C. During             D. After

(   ) 6. A. advanced            B. basic                      C. middle             D. official

(   ) 7. A. times                 B. days                        C. months             D. seasons

(   ) 8. A. carry                 B. fund                        C. hold                 D. bring

(   ) 9. A. many                 B. much                             C. few                  D. little

(   ) 10. A. have               B. don’t                      C. are                   D. haven’t

(   ) 11. A. application               B. work                      C. plan                 D. job

(   ) 12. A. food               B. accommodations       C. clothes             D. trip

(   ) 13. A. money             B. sleep                      C. exercise            D. help

(   ) 14. A. panned             B. changed                   C. caught              D. led

(   ) 15. A. until               B. to                           C. for                   D. at

(   ) 16. A. make free        B. make colorful          C. make sure        D. make true

(   ) 17. A. but for             B. as for                             C. only also          D. but also

(   ) 18. A. on                   B. forward                   C. around             D. in

(   ) 19. A. meat               B. weight                            C. flesh               D. sweater

(   ) 20. A. after               B. in                           C. for                   D. over

Some people have the feeling that nothing can be done about their poor reading ability. They feel hopeless about it. Can you learn to read better, or must you agree that nothing can be done about it?

To be sure, people are different. You cannot expect to do everything as well as certain other people do. If all the students in a class tried out for basketball, some would be very good players; others would be very poor; and many would be in between. But even the very poor players can become much better players if they are guided in the right way, and with plenty of practice. It is the same with reading. Some seem to enjoy reading and to read well without any special help. Others find reading a slow and tiring job. In between, there are all degrees of reading ability.

Many experiments have shown that just about every poor reader can improve his reading ability. In these experiments, the poor readers were given tests of reading ability. After some of the causes of their reading were discovered, they were given special instruction and practice in reading. After a few months, another test of the same kind was given. In nearly all cases, these people had raised their reading scores.

61. With the example of basketball players, the author shows ________.

A. why certain people are poor readers       

B. that there are differences in people’s abilities (能力)

C. why some people are good basketball players

D. that good basketball players can be good readers

62. To improve their reading ability, people should ________.

A. work long and hard                                    B. take different forms of tests

C. have special help and practice                 D. try different reading materials

63. The experiments mentioned in the text show that ________.

A. good readers seem to enjoy reading        

B. almost all poor readers can make progress

C. causes of poor reading were difficult to find out

D. tests help people improve their reading ability

64. What does the underlined sentence “many would be in between” mean?

A. It means that many are the best basket players.

B. It means that many are the worst basket players.

C. It means that many are standing in the middle of the line.

D. It means that there are several levels of players in many students.

65. What’s the purpose of the author’s writing this passage?

A. To encourage people to improve their reading ability.

B. To suggest that readers should do practice only in reading.

C. To tell us that readers can’t improve their reading ability without special help.

D. To tell us that to be a good reader, one should be guided in the right way.

MY Chinese friend is going to the US and he is nervous about what to talk about. “Talk about the weather,” is my advice.
“How are you?” is often followed by comments about the weather. “Nice day today.” “Cold/hot enough for you?” “Will it ever stop raining?” “Some winter we’re having.” “Can’t remember a winter/summer so cold/hot.” “Whew, it’s hot out there.”
These introductory statements are often followed by a long conversation entirely about weather conditions. Past, present and – with global warming – speculation (推测) about the future.
Our fascination with weather might seem silly, but the real purpose behind those endless discussions is small talk. Weather’s a safe topic of conversation. As a group, we Americans seem to enjoy chatting with those around us. Whenever we stand in line at the grocery store, we tend to engage in this sort of conversation with other people standing in line with us. If I were seated next to another American on any form of public transport, I’d expect both of us to make some harmless comment about the weather as a way of acknowledging (承认) each other’s presence (存在). At parties, the weather is a common topic, especially with those you are meeting for the first time.
In contrast we are taught to avoid certain topics like religion and politics. Weather is neutral (中性的); you don’t have to have an opinion about it, just make a statement of a fact. What is truly interesting is the fact that we can go on and on about it.
My Chinese friend has a hard time understanding why we put so much effort into this topic – and why I warn him about bringing up much more “interesting” subjects like salaries or how much something costs.
Sometimes it is tricky (复杂的) to wend (行走) one’s way through winding cultural roads, especially those that are never taught in books.
【小题1】What does the writer suggest her Chinese friend should talk about with people in the US? (No more than two words)
【小题2】Why do Americans enjoy talking to people around them about the weather, in writer’s opinion? (No more than ten words)
【小题3】List four topics that people should avoid talking about in the US. ( No more than 5 words)