Winter-swimming has become popular in Beijing. Three years ago, few people would go swimming in the icy waters. But now there is a Winter-swimming Enthusiasts’ Club（冬泳爱好者协会）and it has more than 2 000 members. The oldest is 84 years old and the youngest is only 7. The members are from all walks of life. They may be workers, peasants, soldiers, teachers, students…
Though it is now the coldest part of the season and the water temperature in the city’s lakes is around 0℃, many winter-swimmers still swim in the icy waters, even when it is snowing. They enjoy themselves in the lake, while the people by the side of the lake are wearing heavy clothes.
Why are so many people interested in winter-swimming? Because winter-swimming can be good for one’s health.
Bei Sha is a good example. He is 69, and he once suffered from（患……病）heart trouble for 26 years. After ten years of winter-swimming he is now in good health. Scientists are now studying the effects of winter-swimming on health.
1.Among the winter-swimmers the oldest man is_______ ye
ars older than the youngest one.
A. 91 B. 84
C. 77 D. 7
2.Guess what “The members are from all walks of life” means?
A. The members do different jobs at different places.
B. They come from all parts of Beijing.
C. They are persons of different ages.
D. They are men and women, old and young.
3.The winter-swimmers are able to swim in the icy waters, even on snowy days because_________________________.
A. they are not afraid of coldness
B. they often swim in the icy waters
C. they know that they can benefit（得益）from it
D. winter-swimming can make people healthy
4.Winter-swimming has become popular in Beijing because ________________.
A. more and more people like to swim in Beijing
B. it is more interesting than swimming in summer
C. winter-swimmers are brave men
D. winter-swimming does a lot of good to one’s health
Baron Pierre de Coubertin was a Frenchman. At his time sports were not taught in French schools. De Coubertin believed that sports should go hand in hand with studies. He had an idea. His idea was to begin the Olympics all over again.
Sports teachers of other countries liked de Coubertion’s ideas. So in 1896, the modern Olympic Games were held in Athens（雅典）, Greece. Since then the Olympics have been held once every four years, except three times, when there were wars.
Before the start of the Olympic Games, runners carry lighted torch（火炬）through many nations towards the stadium（运动场）where the games will be held. These sportsmen are from different countries. Yet they work together to carry the Olympic torch. It is passed from runner to runner. When the last runner enters the stadium, he or she places the torch in a special（专门的）basin filled with oil. It catches fire. It is then, only then, that the Olympic Games can begin.
The Olympic flame（火焰）burns throughout the games. It is the flame of peace.
1.Before 1896 French schools didn’t teach_____ .
A. maths B. history
C. sports D. physics
2.De Coubertin_______________.
A. was the first man to start the Olympic Games
B. helped start the modern Olympic Games
C. believed that sports were less important than studies
D. failed to begin the modern Olympic Games
3.According to this passage, the third modern Olympic Games should have been held in_________ .
A. 1915 B. 1924
C. 1896 D. 1904
4.“Marathon” in this passage is _______________.
A. a foot race B. a jumping contest（比赛）
C. field sports D. a boxing（拳击）match
Hundreds of years ago, a Roman army came north from England to make war on Scotland. The Scots, a brave people, love their country. They fought hard to drive the enemy out of Scotland. But there were too many of the Romans. It looked as if the Romans would win.
One night, the leader of the Scots marched his soldiers to the top of a hill. “We will rest here tonight, my men,” he said, “Tomorrow we will fight one more battle①. We must win, or we will die.”
They were all very tired. So they ate their supper quickly and fell asleep. There were four guards on duty, but they were very tired, too, and one by one, they fell asleep.
The Romans were not asleep. Quickly they gathered at the foot of the hill. Slowly they went up the hill. Closer they came to the sleeping Scots. They were almost at the top. A few minutes more the war would be over. Suddenly, one of them put his foot on a thistle (蓟). He cried out and his sudden cry woke the Scots. In a minute they were on their feet and ready for a battle. The fighting was hard, but it did not last long. The Scots wiped out the Romans and saved Scotland②.
The thistle is not a beautiful plant. It has sharp needles all over it. Few people liked it. But the people of Scotland liked it so much that they made it their national flower.
1.Hundreds of years ago, the Romans ____ .
A. came from the north through England to make war on Scotland
B. came to the north Scotland from England to make war on Scotland
C. came from the north of England to fight the Scots
D. came to the north from the south of Britain to fight the Scots
2.At the shout of a Roman soldier, all the Scots who were asleep at the hill ____ .
A. began to fight the Romans hard
B. stood up without putting on their shoes and began to fight
C. woke and rose immediately, ready to fight
D. put their feet into their shoes at once and were ready to fight
3.The result of the war is that ____ .
A. the Romans killed all the Scots
B. the Scots were defeated
C. the Scots were driven out of Scotland
D. the Scots defeated the Romans
4.The Scots made thistle their national flower because thistle ____ .
A. is lovely, though not beautiful
B. gave them happiness
C. is a kind of useful plant
D. helped the Scots in wiping out the Romans
Fading beauty
She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last for ever. But, at nearly 500 years of age, time is catching up with the Mona Lisa.
The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1505, is getting worse by the year, according to the Louvre Museum(卢浮宫博物馆) where it is housed.
“The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since experts checked it two years ago,” the museum said. Visitors have noticed changes but repairing the world’s most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their current chemical state(化学状态).
Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every year, many attracted by the mystery of her smile. “It is very interesting that when you’re not looking at her, she seems to be smiling, and then you look at her and she stops,” said Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University. “It’s because direct vision (视觉) is excellent at picking up detail, but less suited to looking at shadows. Da Vinci painted the smile in shadows.”[
However, the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as mysterious as the smile. Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually sold to France’s King Francis I in 1519.
In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louvre by a former employee, who took it out of the museum hidden under his coat. He said he planned to return it to Italy. The painting was sent back to France two years later.
During World War II, French hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces.
Like many old ladies, the Mona Lisa has some interesting stories to tell.
1.What does the writer mean by “time is catching up with the Mona Lisa”?
A. The painting woman is not so beautiful any more.
B. Ageing is something that affects us all.
C. The painting needs repairing.
D. 
At such an old age, she is no longer popular.
2.What makes the repair work difficult?
A. The wooden panel is thin and old.
B. No one knows exactly what materials were used to create the painting and how it might respond to treatment.
C. The health of the painting is suffering.
D. Experts can’t agree on how to carry out repairs.
3.What makes her so mysterious according to Professor Livingston?
A. The materials the Italian artist used. B. The way she smiles.
C. The way Da Vinci painted the smile. D. It plays a trick upon the human eyes
Once there was an old farmer, with a horse which was almost as old as himself. He_____one morning with his young son, _____the horse before it died. Father and son walked, _____the farmer did not want the horse to be_____.
They met two men on the road_____said: “Why are you walking, farmer? You have a horse. It's_____to market.” The farmer knew that this was_____, so he rode on the horse, _____his son walked.
Then they met two old ladies. “_____are you doing up there, farmer? Can't you______how tired your boy is?” ______the farmer got down, and his son rode______.
______, three old men stopped them. One said: “Why are you walking, farmer?______. It's too hot for an old man like you to walk today.” So the farmer got up______his son, and they______. ______, a young woman passed them. “Why aren't you walking?” she asked. “It isn't______to market. Give your poor old horse a rest.”
So the farmer, and his son, got down______.
It is a fact that you cannot please______the people all the time.
1.A. set down B. set up C. set out D. set
2.A. selling B. buying C. to buy D. to sell
3.A. so B. that C. because D. when
4.A. very tired B. too tired C. quite tired D. tiring
5.A. which B. who C. as D. where
6.A. a long way B. a short way C. the right way D. the wrong way
7.A. real B. true C. truly D. really
8.A. as B. when C. while D. during
9.A. What B. How C. Why D. When
10.A. notice B. watch C. look D. see
11.A. Because B. As C. For D. So
12.A. thus B. yet C. instead D. either
13.A. First B. Finally C. Near D. Next
14.A. Sit down B. Sit up C. Get up D. Get down
15.A. behind B. after C. beside D. above
16.A. walked on B. rode on C. moved on D. drove on
17.A. Some time later B. A moment ago C. In no time D. At once
18.A. near B. long C. far D. short
19.A. once again B. on their own C. the other day D. all the same
20.A. both B. each of C. all D. none of
1.I invited her to dinner but she made no r____________ to my invitation..
2.M__________ to the enemies means cruelty to the people.
3.You can’t imagine the trouble we took _________(克服) the difficulty.
4.She knew it’s dangerous to visit him at night, but she set out r_____________ of the risk.
5.You can listen to Teen Talk. They will offer you some ____________(实际的，实用的) advice.
6.Those who b______ their countries will be hated by all the people.
7.Maybe I should tell them , so they won’t b_________ me for keeping a secret.
8.After getting to the 8th floor, he p______ for a while and then continued climbing.
9.My English teacher should ask us to answer an a______________(算术) problem that we would race to work out in our heads.
10.You should always help your friends without h____________.
