Hundreds of years ago, Native-American tribes lived in Mexico. The Aztecs built beautiful cities. They had a calendar (历法) and a written language. However, the Spanish destroyed the Aztecs in l521. For the next 300 years, Spain ruled over Mexico. That’s why Mexicans speak Spanish.
Every September l6 the Mexican people hold a celebration in Mexico City, their country’s capital. It is their Independence Day. On that date in 1821 they told Spain they would no longer be ruled. Breaking free from Spain caused a war. When it was over, the Mexicans had their own government. They made their own laws.
Today America and Mexico are friends, but it wasn’t always that way. President James Polk wanted America to reach from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. He tried to buy what is now the American southwest from Mexico. Mexico would not sell. So from l846 to 1848 Mexico and America fought a war to ascertain where their borders would be. When the war ended, Mexico had lost a lot of land. Now the Rio Grande River forms the border between the two nations. America is on the north side of the river. Mexico is on the south side.
Mexico has mountains and a hot, dry climate. Crops can grow on only a small part of the land. Still, Mexicans grow much of the coffee, oranges, and sugar used in the US. Mexicans have influenced building styles in southwestern US and added words such as patio and canton to American English. Americans also enjoy eating many Mexican foods like burritos, tacos, tortillas, and tamales.
1.According to the passage, what happened second on historical timeline?
A. Mexicans declared their independence from Spain.
B. The Spanish ruled Mexico.
C. The Aztecs lived in Mexico.
D. Americans fought a war with Mexico.
2.The passage says that President Polk wanted ______.
A. the US to expand its borders to the Pacific Ocean
B. Mexico to change its Independence Day to July 4th
C. Mexico to become one of the states of the Union
D. Americans to adopt the Mexican language
3. Another word for the underlined word “ascertain” is ______.
A. inspect B. cover
C. change D. determine
4.Mexicans have the following influences on America EXCEPT ______.
A. building styles B. vocabulary
C. clothes D. food
5.Before the Aztecs were conquered(征服), these Native Americans probably ______.
A. didn’t speak Spanish
B. couldn’t read or write any language
C. didn’t have tools
D. didn’t understand the concept of time
February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage.
But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.
1.Which of the following is not a custom for a boy to do on Valentine’s Day?
A. to take his girlfriend out to dinner
B. to buy his girlfriend flowers and chocolates
C. to make Valentine’s cards for teachers and friends
D. to spell out his girlfriend’s name with rose petals
2.Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?
A. Because there were few women in his country at that time.
B. Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers.
C. Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people.
D. Because he wanted to control the birth rate.
3.Valentine was put into prison because ______.
A. he killed one of the soldiers
B. he stole a lot of food
C. he didn’t obey the emperor’s order
D. he didn’t want to be a soldier
4.The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.
A. students in China send cards to their teachers
B. it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China
C. it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China
D. Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now
5.The best title for this passage should be ______.
A. Valentine’s Day
B. A Brave Priest
C. Valentine’s Day in China
D. A Romantic Man
Carnival does not take place only in Louisiana. There are many celebrations around the world.
In Brazil, the celebration is supposed to go on from the Saturday before Mardi Gras(四旬斋前的最后一天)to Mardi Gras Day, but in some Brazilian cities the celebration can last seven or eight days. Just like New Orleans, not many important things are decided in Brazil from New Year’s Day to Mardi Gras Day because everyone is preparing for or celebrating carnival. Most Brazilian parades have a subject, which could be political and historical. The parades had to have a subject related to Brazil until 1996. Some cities in Brazil do not have a street carnival but they might have an indoor ball.
Bolivia has carnival parades for children and then more parades for adults. The children dress up in costumes and march in the streets. The adults make traditional dance groups and dance in the streets. But the main part of Bolivia’s carnival is getting wet. Almost everyone gets wet from water balloons and water buckets. In Oruru, Bolivia, their carnival is held in the last ten days of the carnival season. People there participate in crafts and dancing, but their main carnival event is a ceremonial parade that lasts for twenty hours and parades for four kilometers. Over 20,000 dancers are involved as well as 10,000 musicians. This parade attracts at least 400,000 people.
The carnival in Venice, Italy is often regarded as the most carefully prepared carnival and lasts the ten days before Lent (四旬斋). Many events are held in the canals including shows, concerts, dances, and water processions(队列). The official ending to the celebration is the ball held in St. Mark’s Square.
1.What’s the best title of the passage?
A. Carnivals around the world. B. History of carnival.
C. Customs of carnival. D. Carnival parades.
2.From the passage we learn that in Brazil .
A. all urban residents celebrate carnival for a week
B. people prepare for or celebrate carnival after Mardi Gras Day
C. the parades should have a subject related to Brazil
D. not all cities have a street carnival
3. The most important feature of the celebration of carnival in Bolivia is that .
A.children wearing costumes march in the streets
B. adult dance groups dance in the streets
C.people participate in crafts and dancing
D.nearly all people are sprayed with water
4.Which of the following statements shows that the author pays special attention to the carnival in Bolivia?
A. The time of celebrating carnival in Bolivia is mentioned.
B. There are details and numbers about carnival celebrations in Bolivia.
C. Events or performances for carnival celebrations in Bolivia are mentioned.
D. Participants in the carnival celebration in Bolivia are mentioned.
5.Which of the following areas or countries prepares the most carefully for their carnival according to the passage?
A. Louisiana. B. Bolivia.
C. Venice. D. Brazil.
People in the United States honor their parents with two special days：Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible(有责任感的) citizens. They give love and care. These two days make us think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home. More fathers must help with child care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery(墓地).On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries, telephone companies, and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.
1.Which of the following is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?
A.Parents bring up children.
B.Parents give love and care to children.
C.Parents educate children to be good persons.
D.Parents pass away before children grow up.
2.What do you think “florists” do?
A.They sell flowers.
B.They make and sell bread.
C.They offer enough room for having family parties.
D.They sell special gifts for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
3.Which do you think is right about “carnation”?
A.It has only two kinds of colors.
B.It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
C.It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes.
D.People can wear carnations only on the second Sunday in May.
4.What do you know from the passage?
A.Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both in May.
B.Fewer women worked outside the home in the past.
C.Not all the children respect their parents
D.Fathers are not as important as mothers at home.
5. On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, .
A.people usually have family parties
B.everyone goes to visit the cemetery
C.children always go to parents’ home
D.hand-made cards are the most valuable gifts
Dear Mr. Costa,
I’m sorry it has taken me so long to write. I’ve been very busy with work and school, but I’ve thought about you often.
How have you been 1._________ (late)? Did you have a good Christmas and New Year’s? Mac says you’ve been working hard at 2._________ restaurant and that business is very good. What else have you been doing?
I had a short 3.________ good vacation. Mac and I went to Chicago for a few days before Christmas, but I had to come back and work 4._________ Christmas and New Year’s, 5. _________ (include) Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve! Every time something like that 6._________ (happen), I wonder 7.________ I really want to work in the hotel business.
The other day I was thinking about the fun 8._______ we used to have in our English class. I haven’t seen many of our classmates 9._________ the course was over. In fact, the only one I see very often is Tomiko. I’d really like to get in touch with Franco. Does he ever write to you? If so, could you please send me his address?
Well, Mac and I are going skating and he is waiting for10._________, so I guess I’d better say goodbye now. Write as soon as you can.
Yours ever
The story happened years ago，when my daughter was still little.
I was driving across the country with my daughter to ____ my husband. Since I intended to get to my destination before supper time, I drove ____ for a long time without a stop. Then after driving for many miles, I became tired and needed to stop for a break to get ____．
I found a rest area. It was mostly deserted, in a quiet area of the highway. I parked the car and carried my ____ into the restroom. When I came out I saw a middleaged __ _ wandering around. Feeling ____ about that, I asked the lady. What ____ me was: they were waiting for us!
The lady told me that she and her husband wanted to see us safely back into our ____. She explained that sometimes rest areas could be a ____ place for a young lady like me. She told me that she had a daughter almost my age, so they wanted to make sure that I got safely back on my way.
I was very touched by their ____. Being young, and probably naive to the potential ____ of rest areas, it had never occurred to me that there was any possibility of something going wrong. I ____ them for their kindness. My daughter and I continued our journey and ____ our destination safely.
I never got their names but years have passed and their kindness is still not ____. Sometimes angels come in makeup and just because you can't see their ____ it doesn't mean they aren't angels.
1.A. desert B. stop C．join D．save
2.A. slowly B．quickly C．safely D．quietly
3.A. excited B．bored C．interested D．refreshed
4.A. daughter B．luggage C．license D．car
5.A. lady B．man C．couple D．angel
6.A. angry B．curious C．jealous D．terrible
7.A. surprised B．worried C．annoyed D．upset
8.A. room B．car C．area D．park
9.A. quiet B．noisy C．dangerous D．safe
10.A. devotion B．honesty C．potential D．consideration
11.A. stops B．dangers C．mistakes D．changes
12.A. forgave B．asked C．thanked D．blamed
13.A. reached B．left C．missed D．passed
14.A. seen B．forgotten C．deserted D．recognized
15.A. kindness B．safety C．faces D．wings
