To us, it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains. But in fact the umbrella was not invented as protection against the rain. Its first use was as a shade(遮蔽)against the sun.
Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very ancient times. Probably the first to use it were the Chinese, back in the eleventh century BC.
We know that the umbrella was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade. And there was a strange thing connected with its use : it became a symbol of honor and power(权力). In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by those in high office or by royal people such as the kings or queens.
In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. The umbrella was in common use in ancient Greece, but it is believed that the first people in Europe to use the umbrella as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans. During the middle ages in Europe, the use of the umbrella almost disappeared. Then it appeared again in Italy in the late sixteenth century. And again it became a symbol of power.
Umbrellas have not changed much in style during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight. It wasn't until the twentieth century that the umbrellas for women began to be made in all kinds of colors.Ancient people first used umbrellas as ____.
| A．a symbol of honor |
| B．protection against the sun |
| C．a symbol of power |
| D．protection against the rain |
According to the passage, the umbrella was probably first used in ancient ______.
| A．Egypt . | B．Babylon | C．Rome | D．China |
The underlined word royal might mean _ in Chinese.
| A．皇室的 | B．富裕的 | C．中产的 | D．平民的 |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The ancient Greeks used the umbrella in their daily life. |
| B．Europeans hardly used the umbrella during the middle ages. |
| C．The umbrellas for women were made colorful in ancient times. |
| D．The style of the umbrella hasn't changed a lot since it was invented |
This passage is mainly about _____.
| A．the sales of the umbrella |
| B．the differences among umbrellas |
| C．the invention of the umbrella |
| D．the history and the use of the umbrella |
We provide summer English courses and you will enjoy learning about American culture and improve your English. The courses last for 4 weeks. They start at the beginning of July and August. Our teachers are very experienced. They teach English classes for 4 hours a day. You can choose between small groups of 2 or 3, or larger groups of up to 15. We provide weekly tests to see the progress you’re making with your language skills. We also provide books and other materials.
As well as learning English, we want you to experience life in the USA. You live with an American family and take part in American life. You have meals with them and do some activities with them, too. This is the most interesting part of the course. Many families create friendships with the students. Of course, if you prefer, we can arrange hotel accommodation.
Of course, you can do many things in Los Angeles. Every day we have activities after class. You can choose to take trips to Hollywood, Disneyland or the famous beaches around LA. You can also go to various shopping centres, sports centres, movies and concerts. There are also weekend visits organized to San Francisco and other places of interest in California.
Well, if you’re interested, please fill in our application form where you will also find our list of prices. The course must be paid for one month before it begins. How long do the English courses last?
| A．4 days. | B．2 weeks. | C．3 weeks. | D．4 weeks. |
Why do organizers (组织者) advise students to live with American families?
A. Students are not rich enough to live in hotels.
B. Students can have meals with American families.
C. Students can experience life in the USA.
D. Students can teach American how to cook Chinese foodWhat’s the title of Paragraph 3?
| A．Teaching |
| B．Accommodation and Food |
| C．Sightseeing and Other Activities |
| D．The Famous Beaches Around LA |
What’s the passage about?
| A．A description of an English book. |
| B．A description of an English course. |
| C．A description of life in Los Angeles. |
| D．A description of weekend visits to San Francisco. |
Some children are afraid to go to the dentist, but not me. I’m a boy of 8 and I have a funny dentist. His name is Dr. Smileyface. I don’t think that’s his real name, but that’s what he tells all the children who come to see him.
He has a cool waiting room. It has video games and a big toy box. Dr. Smileyface always wears funny hats. Sometimes he has his face painted. He asks funny questions like “Are you married yet?” and “Do you eat flowers to make your breath smell so sweet?” That makes me laugh. One time, he told me this joke, “What has lots of teeth but never goes to the dentist? A comb!” When I laughed, he pulled my tooth. It didn’t hurt at all! He also teaches me how to take care of my teeth in an interesting way. Before I leave, he always gives me a surprise. Last week he gave me a toy ship and I liked it very much. How does the writer feel when he goes to the dentist?
| A．Angry. | B．Afraid. | C．Sad. | D．Happy. |
What does Dr. Smileyface teach the writer to do?
| A．How to laugh. |
| B．How to take care of his teeth. |
| C．To eat flowers. |
| D．To paint his face. |
What did Dr. Smileyface give the writer last week?
| A．A toy ship. | B．A toy box. | C．A comb. | D．Flowers. |
We all have our own ways of sharing our life experiences with others.
Photographers use cameras，artists use brushes, musicians use songs and writers use stories.
Spencer Johnson's story Who Moved My Cheese? shows changes exist in(存在于)our life. Life changes and so we do. We must change ourselves to face the changing environment, or we will fail.
Just look at the cycle(循环)of the seasons. Trees bud(发芽)in spring and in summer their leaves turn green. In autumn, their leaves start to fall onto the ground. When winter arrives, there are no leaves on trees. Next spring the cycle begins again. Since we know there are cycles in nature, we can prepare for them. We know it is colder in winter and hotter in summer, so we can dress properly.
Since we accept the cycles of nature，we should also accept the changes in our life.
We can prepare ourselves for changes by becoming more flexible(灵活的). We can regard the changes in our life as chances. As we keep changing ourselves, we can keep up with the changes in our life.What do writers use to share their life experiences?
| A．Stories. | B．Newspapers. | C．Basketballs. | D．Pianos. |
Who Moved My Cheese? tells us that ______.
| A．changes exist in our life |
| B．we should move other’s things |
| C．we should use books to share our life experiences |
| D．there are difficulties in our life |
The cycle of the seasons means ______.
| A．we should wear warm clothes in winter |
| B．we should accept the changes in our life |
| C．we should prepare for the weather |
| D．leaves turn yellow in autumn |
If you fail a test, what should you think according to the passage?
| A．I have no chance to pass the test. |
| B．Exams are hard for me. |
| C．I have bad luck. |
| D．It's good for me because I know there are more to learn |
What's the main idea of this passage?
| A．Weather changes in different seasons. |
| B． Who Moved My Cheese? is a good book. |
| C．We should change ourselves when life changes. |
| D．We should not lose heart when we meet with difficulties. |
Recently, many people have begun to try a new way of doing shopping through the Internet. They are very interested in it. Why is itbecoming more and more popular now? There are some reasons. First, more and more people have their own computers and their computers can be joined with the Internet. So it is possible for many of them to do shopping through the Internet. Second, shopping through the Internet can save them some money and a lot of time. Third, they don't need to go to the shop themselves. Because of these good facts, few people refuse it.
On the other hand, some people don't like this new way of shopping. They are worried about the safety of shopping online. Customers(顾客)can only see the pictures of a product on the Internet. And they can't enjoy the pleasure of buying things in a large supermarket or a wonderful shopping center. These are the reasons why they do not like it.
But I think more and more people will like this new kind of shopping in the future.Many people are interested in ______ online.
A. watching TV B reading C. studying D. shoppingFrom the first paragraph，we know ______.
| A．no one likes buying things online |
| B．more and more people don't like shopping through the Internet |
| C．shopping on the Internet is more and more popular |
| D．There are no advantages about shopping on the Internet |
People like doing shopping on the Internet because it can ______.
| A．save their money and time |
| B．help them make a lot of money |
| C．be very easy |
| D．help them save time |
Some people don't like shopping online because they______.
| A．have to pay more money |
| B．must send their money first online |
| C．don't have enough time |
| D．are worried about the safety of shopping online |
What's the best title(题目)of this passage?
| A．Why don't people like going shopping? |
| B．Shopping through the Internet is very popular. |
| C．How do people shop with little money? |
| D．Chinese people don't like shopping on the Internet. |
| Beijing Travel Company Beijing-Singapore: four days in Singapore Website; www. beijingtour. com Telephone: 010一62617788 |
| Miramber Hotel Restaurant & Cafe, Swimming pool, KTV, Clothing store, Reading room |
| Travel Plans ▲ Day 1: Morning: land at Singapore Changi Airport Afternoon: take a bus tour of the island Evening: have a party in the KTV ▲ Day 2: Morning: visit the Handicraft Center and the National Museum Afternoon: take the car to Sentosa Island (圣淘沙岛) ▲ Day 3: Morning: take a walking tour of old Singapore, including Chinatown Afternoon: take a boat trip around the island ▲ Day 4: Morning: free time for shopping Evening: return by air |
| Date of Departure(出发) Price August 16, 2012 ￥3,220 August 17. 2012 ￥3,100 August 18, 2012 ￥2, 950 August 19, 2012 ￥3,150 |
What's the telephone number of Beijing Travel Company?
| A．010一62618877. | B．010一62617788. |
| C．010一61627788. | D．010一61628877. |
Travelers in this tour group will go to Singapore______.
| A．by air | B．by train | C．by bus | D．by sea |
On the second day，travelers in this group can______.
| A．visit Sentosa Island | B．travel around by boat |
| C．go to Chinatown | D．have a party in the KTV |
When can travelers shop finely during the tour?
| A．On the fast day. | B．On the second day. |
| C．On the third day. | D．On the last day. |
If you only want to spend less than 3, 000 yuan，you can choose______ as your
departure date.
| A．August 16 | B．August 17 |
| C．August 18 | D．August 19 |
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