As we know, on Saturday, millions of people around the world will celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, which honors Patron Saint (or main religious figure) of Ireland. Communities across the United States will host parades, parties, and other festivities to mark the occasion.
This year, cities like Boston, New York, and Chicago have organized massive events celebrating Saint Patrick's Day. In New York City, hundreds of thousands of people will gather to watch the Saint Patrick’s Day parade—the nation’s largest. It is one of the most watched parades in the world. Last year, almost 2 million spectators and more than 150,000 participants filled the streets. The parade, first held in 1776, is also one of the o
ldest.
Chicago also throws a big celebration. Every year, the Chicago River, which crosses the city, glows green as event organizers dump about 40 pounds of fluorescence, a powerful dye, into the water.
Boston keeps its parade rolling for three hours or more. It is the nation’s second-largest parade. The city will also salute one of its most famous former residents, President John F. Kennedy, by opening the exhibit "A Journey Home: John F. Kennedy and Ireland," at his official library.
Patron Saint lived in Britain in the early fifth century, when it was still part of the Roman Empire. He was captured and sold into slavery in Ireland when he was only 16．He eventually escaped slavery and turned to a life of religious devotion. He trained to become a minister and set out to spread Christianity throughout Ireland. After 30 years as a religious leader, Patrick died on March 17, 1461．Saint Patrick’s Day is always celebrated on March 17．In Ireland, it is an official holiday. What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Celebrations across the Country |
| B．An Official Holiday in US |
| C．The Largest Parade in the World |
| D．History of Saint Patrick’s Day |
The last paragraph is mainly about _____.
A． the cruel slave trade. |
B．Saint Patrick’s contribution. |
| C．Ireland’s Patron Saint | D．activities during Saint Patrick’s Day |
Which of the following is not correct according to the passage?
| A．Parade is a most important event to observe Saint Patrick’s Day. |
| B．Saluting the former president has become a main event on the occasion. |
| C．Saint Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday. |
| D．The Saint Patrick’s Day parade has a history of over 230 years. |
Napoleon, as a character in Tolstoy’s War and Peace, is more than once described as having “fat little hands.’’ Nor does he “sit well or firmly on the horse.’’ He is said to be “undersized.’’ With “short legs’’ and a “round stomach”. The issue here is not the accuracy of Tolstoy’s description--it seems not that far off from historical accounts but his choice of facts：other things that could be said of the man are not said. We are meant to understand the difference of a warring commander in the body of a fat little Frenchman. Tolstoy’s Napoleon could be any man wandering in the streets and putting a little of powdered tobacco up his nose—and that is the point.
It is a way the novelist uses to show the moral nature of a character. And it turns out that, as Tolstoy has it, Napoleon is a crazy man. In a scene in Book Three of War and Peace, the wars having reached the critical year of 1812,Napoleon receives a representative from the Tsar(沙皇), who has come with peace terms. Napoleon is very angry：doesn’t he have more army? He, not the Tsar, is the one to make the terms. He will destroy all of Europe if his army is stopped. “That is what you will have gained by engaging me in the war!” he shouts. And then, Tolstoy writes, Napoleon “walked silently several times up and down the room, his fat shoulders moving quickly.’’
Still later, after reviewing his army amid cheering crowds, Napoleon invites the shaken Russian to dinner. “He raised his hand to the Russian’s…face,” Tolstoy writes, and “taking him by the ear pulled it gently….” To have one’s ear pulled by the Emperor was considered the greatest honor and mark of favor at the French court. “Well, well, why don’t you say anything?’’ said he, as if it was ridiculous in his presence to respect any one but himself, Napoleon.
Tolstoy did his research, but the composition is his own. Tolstoy’s description of Napoleon in War and Peace is _________.
| A．far from the historical facts |
| B．based on the Russian history |
| C．based on his selection of facts |
| D．not related to historical details |
Napoleon was angry when receiving the Russian representative because _________.
| A．he thought he should be the one to make the peace terms |
| B．the Tsar's peace terms were hard to accept |
| C．the Russians stopped his military movement |
| D．he didn’t have any more army to fight with |
What did Napoleon expect the Russian representative to do?
| A．To walk out of the room in anger. |
| B．To show agreement with him. |
| C．To say something about the Tsar. |
| D．To express his admiration. |
Tolstoy intended to present Napoleon as a man who is _________.
| A．ill-mannered in dealing with foreign guests |
| B．fond of showing off his iron will |
| C．determined in destroying all of Europe |
| D．crazy for power and respect |
What does the last sentence of the passage imply?
| A．A writer doesn’t have to be faithful to his findings. |
| B．A writer may write about a hero in his own way. |
| C．A writer may not be responsible for what he writes. |
| D．A writer has hardly any freedom to show his feelings. |
We have designed all our bank cards to make your life easier .
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As a Switch card , it lets you par for all sorts of goods and services , wherever you see the Switch logo(标志；标识). The money comes straight out of your account, so you can spend as much as you like as long as you have enough money ( or an agreed overdraft (透支) to cover it . It is also a cheque guarantee (担保 ) for up to the amount shown on the card . And it gives you free access to your money from over 31,000 each machines across the UK.
How to use your Nat West Cashcard
You can use your Cashcard as a Solo card to pay for goods and services wherever you see the Solo logo . It can also give you access to your account and your cash from over 31,000 cash machines nationwide . You can spend or withdraw (提取 ) what you have in you account , or as much as your agreed overdraft limit .
Using your cards abroad
You can also use your Servicecard and Cashcard when you＇re abroad . You can withdraw cash machines and pay for goods and services wherever you acc the Cirrus or Macatro logo displayed .
We take a commission charge (手续费 ) of 2.25% of cash withdrawal you make ( up to &4 ) and a commission .
Charge of 75 pence every time you use Maestro to pay for goods or services. We also apply a foreign-exchange transaction fee of 2.65%.
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（This does not include foreign currency or traveller’s cheques bought，interest and other charges.）
If you carry the Servicecard or the Cashcard.
| A．you can use it to guarantee things as you wish |
| B．you can draw your money from cash machines conveniently |
| C．you can spend as much money as you like without a limit |
| D．you have to pay some extra money when you pay for services in the UK |
If you withdraw ￡200 from a cash machine abroad，you will be charged .
| A．￡4 | B．￡4.5 | C．￡5.25 | D．￡5.3 |
Which of the following is TRUE about using your NatWest Credit Card?
| A．You have to pay back with interest within 56 days. |
| B．You will be charged some interest beyond two months. |
| C．You can use the card in any shop across the world. |
| D．You will gain one air mile if you spend ￡20 on traveller’s cheques. |
The purpose of the passage is to show you how to .
| A．play your cards right | B．use your cards abroad |
| C．draw cash with your cards | D．pay for goods with your cards |
People believe that climbing can do good to health. Where can you learn the skill of climbing then? If you think that you have to go to the mountains to learn how to climb, you’re wrong. Many Americans are learning to climb in city gyms(体育馆). Here, people are learning on climbing. The climbing wall goes straight up and small holding places for hands and feet.
How do people climb the wall? To climb, you need special shoes and (保护带) around your chest to hold you. There are ropes(绳索)tied to your. The ropes hold you in place so that you don’t fall. A beginner’s wall is usually about 15 feet high, and you climb straight up. There are small pieces of metal that stick out for you to stand on and hold on to. Sometimes it’s easy to see the new piece of metal. Sometimes, it’s not. The most difficult is your fear. It’s normal for humans to be afraid of falling, so it’s difficult not to feel fear. But when you move away from the wall, and the ropes hold you, and you begin to feel safe. You move slowly until you reach the top.
Climbing attracts people because it’s good exercise for almost everyone. You use your whole body, especially your arms and legs. This sport gives your body a complete workout. When you climb, both your mind and your body can become stronger.What can we infer from the passage?
| A．People are fairly interested in climbing nowadays. |
| B．It is impossible to build up one’s body by climbing. |
| C．People can only learn the skill of climbing outdoors. |
| D．It is always easy to see holding places in climbing. |
The most difficult thing to do in wall climbing is _______.
| A．to tie ropes to your | B．to control your fear |
| C．to move away from the wall | D．to climb straight up |
The word “workout” underlined in the last paragraph most probably means _________.
| A．settlement | B．exercise | C．excitement | D．tiredness |
Why does the author write this passage?
| A．To tell people where to find gyms. | B．To prove the basic need for climbing |
| C．To encourage people to climb mountains. | D．introduce the sport of wall climbing |
Are you sometimes a little tired and sleepy in the early afternoon? Many people feel this way after lunch. They may think that eating lunch is the cause of the sleepiness. Or, in summer, they may think it is the heat. However, the real reason lies inside their bodies. At that time – about eight hours after you wake up – your body temperature goes down. This is what makes you slow down and feel sleepy. Scientists have tested sleep habits in experiments where there was no night or day. The people in these experiments almost always followed a similar sleeping pattern. They slept for one long period and then for one short period about eight hours later.
In many parts of the world, people take naps(小睡) in the middle of the day. This is especially true in warmer climates(气候), where the heat makes work difficult in the early afternoon. Researchers are now saying that naps are good for everyone in any climate. A daily nap gives one a more rested body and mind and therefore is good for health in general. In countries where naps are traditional (传统的), people often suffer less from problem such as heart disease.
Many working people, unfortunately, have no time to take naps. Though doctors may advise taking naps, employers do not allow it! If you do have the chance, however, here are a few tips about making the most of your nap. Remember that the best time to take a nap is about eight hours after you get up. A short sleep too late in the day may only make you feel more tired and sleepy afterward. This can also happen if you sleep for too long. If you do not have enough time, try a short nap – even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful. Why do people feel sleepy in the early afternoon according to the text?
| A．They eat too much for lunch. |
| B．They sleep too little at night. |
| C．Their body temperature becomes lower. |
| D．The weather becomes a lot warmer. |
If you get up at 6:30 am, what is the best time for you to take a nao?
| A．About 12:30 pm. | B．About 1:30 pm. |
| C．About 2:30 pm | D．About 3:30 pm |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Just for a Rest |
| B．All for a Nap |
| C．A Special Sleep Pattern. |
| D．Taking Naps in Warmer Climate. |
It was the summer of 1965. DeLuca, then 17, visited Peter Buck, a family friend. Buck asked DeLuca about his plans for the future. “I’m going to college, but I need a way to pay for it,” DeLuca recalls saying. “Buck said, ‘You should open a sandwich shop.’”
That afternoon, they agreed to be partners. And they set a goal: to open 32 stores in ten years. After doing some research, buck wrote a check for $1000. DeLuca rented a storefront (店面) in Connecticut, and when they couldn’t cover their start-up costs, Buck kicked in another $1000.
But business didn’t go smoothly as they expected. DeLuca says, “After six months, we were doing poorly, but we didn’t know how badly, because we didn’t have any financial controls.” All he and Buck knew was that their sales were lower than their costs.
DeLuca was managing the store and going to the University of Bridgeport at the same time. Buck was working at his day job as a nuclear physicist in New York. They’d meet Monday evenings and brainstorm ideas for keeping the business running. “We convinced ourselves to open a second store. We figured we could tell the public, ‘We are so successful, we are opening a second store.’” And they did—in the spring of 1966. Still, it was a lot of learning by trial and error.
But the partners’ learn-as-you-go approach turned out to be their greatest strength. Every Friday, DeLuca would drive around and hand-deliver the checks to pay their suppliers. “It probably took me two and a half hours and it wasn’t necessary, but as a result, the suppliers got to know me very well, and the personal relationships established really helped out,” DeLuca says.
And having a goal was also important. “There are so many problems that can get you down. You just have to keep working toward your goal,” DeLuca adds.
DeLuca ended up founding Subway Sandwich, the multimillion-dollar restaurant chain.DeLuca opened the first sandwich shop in order to ____.
| A．support his family |
| B．pay for his college education |
| C．help his partner expand business |
| D．do some research |
Which of the following is true of Buck?
| A．He put money into the sandwich business. |
| B．He was a professor of business administration. |
| C．He was studying at the University of Bridgeport. |
| D．He rented a storefront for DeLuca. |
What can we learn about their first shop?
| A．It stood at an unfavorable palace. |
| B．It lowered the prices to promote sales. |
| C．It made no profits due to poor management |
| D．It lacked control over the quality of sandwiches |
They decided to open a second store because they ___.
| A．had enough money to do it. |
| B．had succeeded in their business |
| C．wished to meet the increasing demand of customers |
| D．wanted to make believe that they were successful |
What contribute most to their success according to the author?
| A．Learning by trial and error. |
| B．Making friends with suppliers. |
| C．Finding a good partner. |
| D．Opening chain stores. |
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