Last week the manager of an old jeweler’s shop received a letter marked “personal”, so of course his secretary gave it to him unopened. As he was very busy, the letter lay on his desk till tea-time. Then he opened it and a ￡10 note fell out onto his desk. With the note was a short letter. This is what it said:
Dear Sir,
In 1935 I got engaged. But unfortunately at that time there was a lot of unemployment and I lost my job. I was six months without a job and then I got work again. But of course was very short of money. I came to your shop to buy a wedding ring. The assistant brought some rings for me to look at, but she was called away for a moment, and I put one of the rings in my pocket. When she came back, I said I did not know the size of my girl-friend’s finger. So I left the shop without buying a ring.
My wife died a short while ago and the fact that I never paid for her ring has been on my conscience (良心) all these years. At the time the ring cost ￡2 so I reckon (估计) that is about ￡10 at today’s price. And I am sending you that amount.
Yours truly,
A customer
“Well, well, well,” said the manager, “life is full of surprises!”Why didn’t the secretary open the letter? Because _______.
| A．he was very busy |
| B．it was a personal letter |
| C．there was a ￡10 note in it |
| D．the letter was unimportant |
What was true about the assistant?
| A．She lost her job. |
| B．She was short of money. |
| C．She was called away while serving the customer. |
| D．She put one of the rings in her pocket. |
What happened to the writer of the letter in 1935?
| A．He married a girl. |
| B．He was out of work for six months and short of money. |
| C．He lost a ring. |
| D．His parents died. |
The best headline for this article would be _______.
| A．A Customer Pays His Bill | B．An Old Jeweler’s Shop |
| C．The Manager and the Letter | D．A Letter with ￡2 |
At last, the mid-term exams are over. You’ve done the hard work, but you can’t relax. You have to prepare for the next exams. Do you hate exams? If you do, you’re not alone. Students in other countries hate them as well.
Luckily for them, British students have fewer exams than Chinese students. They take a test in each subject only every summer. Each test lasts about an hour. These exams don’t count for much. Even if some students do really badly, they can still enter the higher grade the next year. When the results come out, they are then placed in an end-of-year report. The report is sent to the child’s parents. It describes how the student studies at school.
This report is private(私人的), so only the teacher, the student and his or her parents can see it. This means that the student doesn’t know how other students score on the tests. Some students choose to tell each other, but others keep it a secret.
Parents’ meeting are held twice a year, at the end of the winter term and then at the end of the summer term. Children go along with their parents to meet their teachers privately and discuss their performance(表现) at school.According to the passage, British students___________.
| A．need to take a test twice a year. |
| B．have to take a test at the end of a year. |
| C．have to spend about one hour on each test. |
| D．need to take their reports to their parents. |
The end-of year report__________.
| A．is written by students themselves |
| B．can be seen by everyone in the school |
| C．can be used to keep the students safe. |
| D．is about students’ study at school |
The underlined sentence “These exams don’t count for much.” means “______”.
| A．there are too many exams |
| B．these exams play a key role |
| C．these exams don’t mean(意味着) everything |
| D．there are a few exams |
Which of the following is TURE according to the passage?
| A．British students don’t need to prepare for their exams. |
| B．British students are not allowed to tell each other their scores. |
| C．British students should visit their teachers with their parents. |
| D．British students have a piece of report at the end of a term. |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．The exam’s report |
| B．The tests’ scores |
| C．British parents’ meeting |
| D．British students’ exams |
My son was a second-grader. He went to school by bus every day. He was the first student on in the morning, as we were farthest from school, and the last student off in the evening. I was a teacher myself and it was a comfort to realize the school staff (职员) were all working as hard as I was to provide a safe learning environment.
One day I came home from work and waited for my son to get home for a long time. Then I called the school. “Perhaps he’s just a bit late,” said the secretary. “I will call the driver to see if those children are home.” A few minutes later, I answered the phone to hear that the other students were home. Then I called his friends’ parents, to see if perhaps he had gotten off at their stop to play. The answers were all “No.”
By that time, it was dark and I was scared. My home was in the mountain areas, and it was said that a wolf had come up somewhere. My husband wasn’t at home, so I forced myself to calm down and decided to go out to look for him. I was about to go out when the telephone rang; it was from the driver. “He’s okay,” I heard. “He was asleep on the seats in the back, under a couple of jackets. Since it’s dark, can he spend the night with my family?”
I was relieved and agreed. Since my son had a great adventure, the school started giving a copy of the list to the driver, so he could check off the children’s names when they got off the bus. I think highly of the school for taking the cautionary (警戒的) step ahead; it is a sign of their concern for students, parents, and staff.From Paragraph 1 we learn that ________.
| A．the author’s son went home by bus every after-noon |
| B．the author’s son came to school earlier than other students |
| C．the author’s home was farther than that of any other student |
| D．the author was a teacher in her son’s primary school |
At first the secretary thought ________.
| A．the author’s son was still at school |
| B．the school bus would arrive in a while |
| C．the author’s son was at his friend’s home |
| D．there might be something wrong with the school bus |
The author’s son probably spent the night _________.
| A．in the bus | B．at his own home |
| C．at the driver’s home | D．in the secretary’s office |
The author wrote the text to ________.
| A．praise the school for its quick action |
| B．thank the bus driver for his kindness |
| C．complain about the secretary of the school |
| D．show her concern for kids safety |
What’s worrying Anna?
| A．Her friend is not always honest. |
| B．Her friend is not interesting. |
| C．Her friend does not believe her. |
| D．Her friend reads her terrible stories. |
Dani suggests that Tom_______.
| A．leave his two friends |
| B．go on an outing with one of his friends |
| C．tell his friends his thoughts |
| D．invite another to join his group of friends |
The underlined word “teasing” in the last paragraph probably means _______.
| A．hating | B．liking |
| C．making fun of | D．taking care of |
The passage is mainly about how to _____.
| A．make new friends at school |
| B．take part in group activities at school |
| C．get along with different classmates |
| D．solve problems between friends |
We live in central Phoenix, near the canal（运河）. Every day I used to see a homeless old man and his scruffy little dog hanging out down there.
I would tell my husband we should give him food for the little dog. It wouldn't have been a problem; we have our own "mini farm" of animals! But he would say "OK!" and then blow the idea off because of our business.
Being in Phoenix, Arizona, you can just imagine how hot it gets here, but his winter was really chilly! I had just come from KFC with take-out food for dinner. As I was turning by the canal, the man and his dog were sitting right there all bundled up. Even the doggy had a coat on! Not even thinking about it, I pulled into the parking lot along the canal and piled up a plate of chicken with all the fixings for the man and his little buddy（好友）. I gave it to him with a soda and a bottle of water for the little dog. He said, "Thank you, sweetie. You are an angel." And there were tears welling up in his eyes! I told him he was so welcome, and then went home.
When my husband dug into the KFC bag he asked, "Were you hungry, or what?" I told him what I did and he said, "Only you!" Then he told me I had done a good thing.
A few weeks later, we were walking along the canal and found the man walking to me, with his little dog. He asked whether I would mind adopting the dog. With tears in eyes, he said it had gotten too hard for him to care for the dog. He added that he was planning on heading to Washington State but his dog wouldn't have been up to it, so he hoped to give it to me. "Only you! In this city, you are the only person I can believe in!"
Now, every time I watch and pat the dog lying near the fireplace, I will remember the old man's words and wish him good luck.What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 3?
| A．She gave the old man some food on a cold day. |
| B．She met the old man after finishing her dinner. |
| C．She offered the old man nothing but chicken. |
| D．She burst into tears after helping the old man. |
What did the author's husband feel when she told him what she had done?
| A．thankful | B．delighted |
| C．indifferent | D．disappointed |
Why did the old man hope to give the dog to the author?
| A．Because he knew the author was also a dog lover. |
| B．Because the author was the person he could trust. |
| C．Because the author was the only person he knew. |
| D．Because he believed that his dog liked the author. |
What can we infer from the ending of the passage?
| A．The author refused the old man's request. |
| B．The author misses the old man and his dog. |
| C．The author feels the old man was very lucky. |
| D．The author adopted the old man's dog. |
There are popular programmes about the work of the police on TV. People like them because they are interesting and useful.
In London there is a TV programme called “Police Five”. It takes five minutes a week.A TV reporter talks about crimes(犯罪) in London. He asks people for help, because the police station needs their help.
The TV reporter shows picture of lost painting, lost cars and other lost things during the week. Sometimes he shows the picture of the car that the thieves(贼) drove away. When people see the picture of such things on TV, they may remember something so that they may tell the police where or when they saw them. With their help the police may catch more thieves.
Sometimes the police find a car or something expensive that has ever been lost, the TV reporter shows them on TV. Then the owners may see them and they can get them back.“Police Five” is _______.
| A．name of a TV reporter. | B．time of a TV programme |
| C．the name of a TV programme | D．a police station. |
“Police Five” is shown _________.
| A．every week | B．once a week | C．five minutes a day | D．five times a week |
This programme is about ___________.
| A．a TV reporter | B．painting | C．cars | D．crimes |
The police _______by this programme.
| A．let people understand them | B．ask for people’s help |
| C．let people know what was lost | D．let people feel interesting |
Along the river banks of the Amazon and the Orinoco there lives a bird that swims before it can fly, flies like a fat chicken, eats green leaves, has the stomach of a cow and has claws(爪)on its wings when young .They build their homes about 4.6m above the river ,an important feature(特征)for the safety of the young. It is called the hoatzin.
In appearance，the birds of both sexes look very much alike with brown on the back and cream and red on the underside .The head is small, with a large set of feathers on the top, bright red eyes, and blue skin. Its nearest relatives are the common birds, cuckoos. Its most striking feature, though, is only found in the young.
Baby hoatzins have a claw on the leading edge of each wing and another at the end of each wing tip .Using these four claws ,together with the beak(喙),they can climb about in the bushes, looking very much like primitive birds must have done. When the young hoatzins have learned to fly, they lose their claws.
During the drier months between December and March hoatzins fly about the forest in groups of 20 to 30 birds, but in April, when the rainy season begins, they collect together in smaller living units of two to seven birds for producing purposes.What is the text mainly about?
| A．Hoatzins in dry and rainy seasons. |
| B．The relatives and enemies of hoatzins. |
| C．Primitive birds and hoatzins of the Amazon. |
| D．The appearance and living habits of hoatzins. |
Young hoatzins are different from their parents in that ．
| A．they look like young cuckoos |
| B．they have claws on the wings |
| C．they eat a lot like a cow |
| D．they live on river banks |
What can we infer about primitive birds from the text?
| A．They had claws to help them climb. |
| B．They could fly long distances. |
| C．They had four wings like hoatzins. |
| D．They had a head with long feathers on the top. |
Why do hoatzins collect together in smaller groups when the rainy season comes?
| A．To find more food. |
| B．To protect themselves better. |
| C．To keep themselves warm. |
| D．To produce their young. |
Many people think a telephone is essential. But I think it is a pest and a time waster. Very often you find it impossible to escape from some idle or curious chatter-box, or from somebody who wants something for nothing. If you have a telephone in your own house, you will admit that it tends to ring when you are asleep, or in the middle of a meal or a conversation, or when you are just going out, or when you are taking your bath. Are you strong minded enough to ignore it, to say to yourself,“Ah, well, it will all be the same in a hundred years’ time” You are not. You think there may be some important news or messages for you. I can assure you that if a message is really important it will reach you sooner or later. Have you never rushed dripping from the bath, or chewing from the table, or dazed from the bed, only to be told that you are a wrong number?
But you will say, you need not have your name printed in the telephone directory, and you can have a telephone which is only usable for outgoing calls. Besides, you will say, isn’t it important to have a telephone in case of emergency—illness, an accident, or fire? Of course, you are right, but here in a thickly populated country like England one is seldom far from a telephone in case of dreadful necessity.
I think perhaps I had better try to justify myself by trying to prove that what I like is good. I admit that in different circumstances—if I were a tycoon(business VIP),for instance, or bed ridden I might find a telephone essential. But then if I were a taxi-driver I should find a car essential.
Let me put it another way: there are two things for which the English seem to show particular talent; one is mechanical invention, the other is literature. My own business happens to be with the use of words but I see I must now stop using them. For I have just been handed a slip of paper to say that somebody is waiting to speak to me on the telephone. I think I had better answer it. After all, one never knows, it may be something important.The passage is mainly discussing _______.
| A．that we should be strong enough to ignore a phone call |
| B．that important message will reach you sooner or later |
| C．whether it’s necessary to answer all phone calls |
| D．whether it is necessary to have a telephone |
Judging from the passage, who is strong-minded enough to ignore a phone call?
| A．The author. | B．A tycoon. |
| C．A taxi-driver. | D．Hardly anyone. |
According to the passage, the author________.
| A．thinks the telephone should go out of our life |
| B．likes to be different from other people |
| C．thinks the telephone is annoying |
| D．speaks favourably of a telephone |
In the author’s opinion, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Nearly everyone has been told a wrong number. |
| B．It’s necessary for everyone to have a telephone. |
| C．He himself can not decide whether to answer a call. |
| D．A telephone directory may bring in unexpected calls. |
Motorists over the age of 75 face compulsory tests of their eyesight and ability to drive under proposals being considered by ministers.
The biggest overhaul of motoring law in a generation could also lead to all drivers having to give assurances of their fitness to get behind the wheel every 10 years.
Other changes under consideration include issuing daylight driving licenses for motorists with night blindness, together with stricter checks on all drivers whose medical condition brought a threat to other road users.
It is understood that the proposals will be part of a review of the law governing the medical fitness of drivers that will be announced publicly by the summer.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is dealing with a rising number of motorists who are concerned that they have conditions---from failing eyesight to epilepsy---that could affect their driving.
In 2006, the DVLA dealt with 600,000 motorists whose physical ability to drive needed to be recertified（重新认证）, a 20 per cent rise on the previous year. With an ageing population, the biggest challenge is dealing with the rising number of elderly motorists. By 2021, there will be an estimated three million drivers over the age of 70 on Britain’s roads.
Drivers must renew their licenses at the age of 70 and every three years thereafter. The applicant is legally required to tell the DVLA of any conditions that could weaken their ability behind the wheel.
Ministers have ruled out a compulsory maximum age for driving but will instead rely on tightening up the checks on motorists over the age of 75. The most likely option would be tests to ensure motorists were fit to drive. They would include an eyesight test and a cognitive（认知） test that would prove a driver's ability to react to road signs, driving conditions, pedestrians and vehicles.
However, checks are likely to be tightened at all ages. The strictest controls are expected to be imposed（强制）on motorists of any age who have had a heart attack or stroke. They could have to produce a doctor's approval to resume（重新得到）driving. Anyone making a false declaration would be guilty of a criminal offence.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The new motoring law will come into effect by the summer． |
| B．Drivers over the age of 75 must renew their licenses every three years． |
| C．Doctors will decide whether one can get their driving licenses． |
| D．Drivers at all ages will be expected to provide their medical condition． |
What is the biggest challenge to the traffic safety in Britain according to the writer?
| A．Ageing population． | B．Increasing number of cars． |
| C．Increasing number of elderly motorists． | D．Driving conditions． |
The underlined word “overhaul” in Paragraph 2 means _______．
| A．change | B．consideration | C．concern | D．challenge |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．There will be more and more aged drivers in Britain． |
| B．Anyone can get a driving license as long as he/she is in good health． |
| C．Health tends to decline as one gets old． |
| D．It will be guilty to make a false declaration． |
Mothers and daughters go through so much—yet when was the last time a mother and daughter sat down to write a book together about it all? Perri Klass and her mother, Sheila Solomon Klass, both gifted professional writers, prove to be ideal co-writers as they examine their decades of motherhood, daughterhood, and the wonderful ways their lives have overlapped (重叠).
Perri notes with amazement how closely her own life has mirrored her mother’s: both have full-time careers; both have published books, articles, and stories; each has three children; they both love to read. They also love to travel—in fact, they often take trips together. But in truth, the harder they look at their lives, the more they acknowledge their big differences in circumstance and basic nature.
A child of the Depression (大萧条), Sheila was raised in Brooklyn by parents who considered education a luxury for girls. Starting with her college education, she has fought for everything she’s ever accomplished. Perri, on the other hand, grew up privileged in the New Jersey suburbs of the 1960s and 1970s. For Sheila, wasting time or money is a crime, and luxury is unthinkable while Perri enjoys the occasional small luxury, but has not been successful in trying to persuade her mother into enjoying even the tiniest thing she likes.
Each writing in her own unmistakable voice, Perri and Sheila take turns exploring the joys and pains, the love and bitterness, the minor troubles and lasting respect that have always bonded them together. Sheila describes the adventure of giving birth to Perri in a tiny town in Trinidad where her husband was doing research fieldwork. Perri admits that she can’t sort out all the mess in the households, even though she knows it drives her mother crazy. Together they compare thoughts on bringing up children and working, admit long-hidden sorrows, and enjoy precious memories.
Looking deep into the lives they have lived separately and together, Perri and Sheila tell their mother-daughter story with honesty, humor, enthusiasm, and admiration for each other. A written account in two voices, Every Mother Is a Daughter is a duet (二重奏) that produces a deep, strong sound with the experiences that all mothers and daughters will recognize.Why does Perri think that her own life has mirrored her mother’s?
| A．They both have gone through difficult times. |
| B．They have strong emotional ties with each other. |
| C．They have the same joys and pains, and love and bitterness. |
| D．They both have experiences as daughter, mother and writer. |
The word “luxury” in Paragraph 3 means ______.
| A．something rare but not pleasant |
| B．something that cannot be imagined |
| C．something expensive but not necessary |
| D．something that can only be enjoyed by boys |
What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?
| A．The content of the book. | B．The purpose of the book. |
| C．The influence of the book. | D．The writing style of the book. |
How are women’s lives explored in this book?
| A．In a musical form. | B．Through field research. |
| C．With unique writing skills. | D．From different points of view. |
They can be seen more frequently than ever before on college campuses, wearing flannel(法兰绒) and thickframed glasses while listening to music. One might find them playing unusual musical instruments, shopping at secondhand stores or expressing themselves in other unique ways.
They call themselves hipsters. Being “hip” used to mean following the latest fashion. But gradually the word has become a sign of “being cool, unique and unusual”．
Hipsters value independent thinking, progressive politics, an appreciation of creativity and intelligence. Hipsters take pains and pride in not being mainstream. However, their culture has become quite trendy. This irony(讽刺) is central to their culture and offers an interesting conflict.
“I do take things in the mainstream with a positive attitude，” says Ben Polson, a college student at Brown University. “But sometimes I also question what determines popularity, especially regarding music.” Polson represents many hipsters.
When lessknown bands become popular, they often lose their former fan base in exchange for a new one. There is a famous hipster saying that goes, “I used to like that band before it got popular，” Polson quoted.
According to Polson, bands' music changes when they go mainstream. They become less experimental, doing things just to save popularity and fans. The original elements that we were drawn to slowly disappear for the sake of popularity.
Many young adults have started to view hipsters' outlook as cool and they are adopting hipsters' antimainstream culture mind to themselves. This has led to specialized brands, stores and music for the hipster consumers. But on the other hand, some such stores, including clothing labels Urban Outfitters and American Apparel, have gained mainstream popularity. This has seemingly made the antimainstream culture become weaker.
“A lot of people that are selfdefined hipsters aren't really hipsters. They're just trying to act as hipsters to seem cooler，” says Amanda Leopold, a college student from Oberlin College, US. Although Leopold has many unusual tastes and seems quite individualist, she refuses to classify herself as a hipster.In the passage, hipsters refer to people ________.
| A．who are fans of pop music |
| B．who study in different colleges |
| C．who appear cool and unusual |
| D．who try to attract others |
According to the author, ________.
| A．hipsters are the pioneers of the mainstream |
| B．hipsters are unhappy with the mainstream |
| C．hipsters' culture exists mainly in music field |
| D．hipsters' culture can also become popular |
What is the main idea of the seventh paragraph?
| A．Urban Outfitters and American Apparel are famous clothing labels. |
| B．Hipster consumers have more specialized brands, stores and music. |
| C．Antimainstream culture can gain mainstream popularity. |
| D．The culture of hipsters is becoming more and more terrible. |
When describing hipsters, the author speaks ________.
| A．in an ironic voice | B．in an objective voice |
| C．in an angry voice | D．in a funny voice |
The Great Barn Adventure
One morning when I was 11, I explored the town’s abandoned round grain barn（谷仓）. I found a chained sliding door that was wide enough for me to pass through.
Inside, there was a heavy smell of dead mice in the dark. After my eyes adjusted, I noticed a shaft (升降机井) that rose all the way to the top of the barn. On one side was a one-man elevator with a long rope and roller.
I stepped onto the platform and gave the rope a drag and the elevator began sliding up the shaft, but stopped halfway. After a brief panic attack, I noticed holes in the wall at regular intervals, forming a ladder. For reasons known only to an 11-year-old, I decided it would be better to go up than down. So, with shaking hands, I began climbing the wall.
After what seemed like forever, I reached the top of the shaft. I stood up, dusted myself off and found absolutely nothing of interest. It was just an empty room with a ladder leading up to the roof. I climbed all the way up here for this? Then I noticed a fire extinguisher（灭火器）,which I’d always wanted to shoot off. So this was the chance of a lifetime. I tried it, and, much to my surprise, the thing worked! It shot out a thick cloud of powder that instantly filled the room. I couldn’t breathe. I was going to choke to death, and they’d probably never even find my body.
Luckily, I remembered the ladder to the roof. I climbed up, popped the straw roof and saw a bright blue sky.
I suddenly realized the dust and powder pouring out of the top could draw attention. So when the dust had settled, I climbed down and slipped out of the chained door. I’m not sure if I was more excited about being alive or about not being caught, but I ran all the way back home. When the author got inside the barn, he _______.
| A．noticed a man on the elevator |
| B．opened the chained sliding door |
| C．saw many dead mice in the dark |
| D．found a shaft leading to the top |
Which of the following is the right order of the author’s adventure?
a. The elevator stopped halfway.
b. He entered the round grain barn.
c. He climbed to the top of the shaft.
d. He found a fire extinguisher and shot it off.
| A．b-a-c-d | B．a-c-b-d | C．c-a-d-b | D．b-c-a-d |
After getting out of the chained door, the author might feel _______.
| A．inspired | B．relieved | C．surprised | D．disappointed |
From the passage, we can learn that the author was probably a boy full of _______.
| A．passions | B．dreams | C．curiosity | D．imagination |
Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.
My earliest memories of my father are of a tall, handsome successful man devoted to his work and family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him; as a school girl and young adult I feared him and felt bitter about him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.
On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor cafe. We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical (挑剔的) air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting be around? What had held him back before?
The next day my dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing. I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his mew home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was. Why did the author feel bitter about her father when she was a young adult?
| A．He was silent most of the time. |
| B．He was too proud of himself. |
| C．He did not love his children. |
| D．He expected too much of her. |
When the author went out with her father on weekends, she would feel ________.
| A．nervous | B．sorry | C．tired | D．safe |
What does the author think of her father after her visit to Tucson?
| A．More critical. | B．More talkative |
| C．Gentle and friendly. | D．Strict and hard-working. |
The underlined words “my new friend” in the last paragraph refer to ________.
| A．the author’s son | B．the author’s father |
| C．the friend of the author’s father | D．the café owner |
Whether you’re eating at a fancy restaurant or dining in someone’s home. Proper table manners are likely to help you make a good impression. According to a US expert, Emily Post, “All rules of table manners are made to avoid ugliness.”
While Henry Hitchings of the Los Angeles Times admits that good manners can reduce social conflict, he points out that mostly their purpose is protective - they turn our natural warrior-like selves into more elegant ones.
So where did table manners come from?
In medieval England, a writer named Petrus Alfonsi took the lead to urge people not to speak with their mouths full. And King David I of Scotland also proposed that any of his people who learned to eat more neatly be given a tax deduction (减除).
Disappointingly, that idea never caught on. It was during the Renaissance, when there were real technical developments, opinions of correct behavior changed for good. “None of these was more significant than the introduction of the table fork,” wrote Hitchings. “Gradually, as forks became popular, they brought the new way of eating, making it possible, for instance, to consume berries without making one’s fingers dirty.”
Forks were introduced to Britain in 1608 and 25 years later, the first table fork reached America. Yet while most of the essentials (基本要素) are the same on both sides of the Atlantic, there are a few clear differences between what’s normal in the US and what holds true in the UK. For example, in the US, when food needs cutting with a knife, people generally cut a bite, then lay aside the knife and switch the fork to their right hand. Then they pick up one bite at a time. By contrast, Britons keep the fork in the left hand and don’t lay the knife down.
Though globalization has developed a new, simpler international standard of table manners, some people still stick with the American cut-and-switch method.The Los Angeles Times noted, “They are hanging on to a form of behavior that favors manners above efficiency.”What does the story mainly talk about?
| A．The importance of proper table manners . |
| B．The development of table manners in Western countries. |
| C．Some unwritten rules of table manners in the US and UK. |
| D．Differences between American and British table manners. |
The underlined phrase “caught on” in the passage probably means ______.
| A．worked in practice | B．became popular |
| C．drew attention | D．had a positive effect |
Which of the following events influenced people’s table manners most according to the article?
| A．The introduction of forks. |
| B．The tax deduction policy. |
| C．The rise of the Renaissance. |
| D．Petrus Alfonsi’s efforts in promoting table manners. |
What can we conclude from the article?
| A．British and American table manners are completely different from each other. |
| B．American people pay more attention to their table manners than British people do. |
| C．With globalization, the American cut-and-switch method has been abandoned in the US. |
| D．British people’s way of using a knife and fork may be more efficient than American people’s. |
In America, Virginia Beach has all the elements of a classic seaside resort: brilliant beaches, a lively boardwalk, plenty of restaurants and nightspots, and amusement rides are sure to appeal to kids. Many believe Virginia Beach is at its best in the off-season, when the town is less crowded but the weather is still mild.
Meanwhile, some safety tips should be followed, enjoying the happiness and excitement the beach offers.
The number l safety tip concerns ocean safety: pay attention to Flag conditions posted on the lifeguard stands. Lifeguards post a red flag to warn when the ocean water is dangerous. Take them seriously! Tourists from land-locked regions are particularly easily attracted by the magic of the waves. However, a calm ocean can become risky without warning. Make sure you swim near a lifeguard. Swimming without lifeguard protection is almost five times as great as drowning at a beach with lifeguards.
Never swim alone. Many drownings involve single swimmers. When you swim with someone else, if one of you has a problem, the other may be able to get help, including signaling for assistance from others.
Don't fight the current. The facts show that some 80% of rescues by lifeguards at ocean beaches are caused by currents. These currents are formed by surf and gravity, because once surf pushes water up the slope of a beach, gravity pulls it back. This can create concentrated rivers of water moving offshore. If you are caught in a rip current, don't fight it by trying to swim directly to shore. Instead, swim parallel to shore until you feel the current relax, then swim to shore. Most rip currents are narrow and a short swim parallel to shore will help bring you to safety.When coming to Virginia Beach, children can enjoy the happiness of .
| A．walking on the road made of wood | B．joining the nightspots |
| C．having interesting rides | D．skiing in the sea |
Many people believe the best time to visit Virginia Beach may be .
| A．after autumn school term beginning | B．in the slimmer vacation |
| C．during the Christmas holiday | D．in the cold winter |
Swimming in the sea you'd better not swim .
| A．with a friend | B．within the sight of the lifeguard |
| C．with the current | D．as far as you like |
From the passage, we can know .
| A．one in five persons swimming in the sea is drowned |
| B．if one with lifeguard were drowning, five persons without lifeguard would be |
| C．some 80% people drowning by the currents are rescued by lifeguards |
| D．some 20% drowning by the currents are rescued by life guards |
The passage mainly tells us .
| A．some safety tips when swimming in the sea |
| B．the happiness and excitement the beach offers |
| C．Virginia Beach has all the elements of a classic seaside resort |
| D．the dangers for tourists from land-locked regions to swim in the sea |
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