First published in 2001, the book Life of Pi written by Canadian author Yann Martel won the Man Booker Prize and an Asian American Prize for Literature. It is the story of a young boy named Pi who spends 227 days at sea with a small group of animals after disaster strikes their ship and is an account of his journey of survival and hardship.
Piscine “Pi” Molitor Patel, on whom Life of Pi is based, is a young boy living in Pondicherry, India, where his father owns a zoo. The story starts when Patel’s family decide to move to Canada, along with their zoo animals for their new home.
However, because of the bad weather, the ship sinks. Pi along with an orangutan (猩猩), an injured zebra, a hyena (鬣狗) and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker are the only survivors who take shelter in a small lifeboat. Both the injured zebra and the orangutan are soon killed and eaten by the hyena. The tiger in turn kills and eats the hyena, leaving just the two of them alone on the boat now.
In an effort to avoid being eaten by Richard Parker, Pi acts himself as the head of the group and remains safe from harm. Since he does not want the tiger to die for fear of going mad by being alone on the boat, he fishes and feeds the two of them in order to stay alive.
The life of Pi then enters its third stage when their lifeboat washes up on the shores of Mexico and the tiger escapes into a nearby forest leaving Pi alone. After the Mexicans refuse to believe Pi’s story, he changes his tale by replacing the animals with his mother, a cook and a sailor and asks the Mexicans which one they prefer. They prefer hearing the first story though they do not believe a word of it.
In my view, Life of Pi is a must read book for all those who love reading.
1.We can learn that the book Life of Pi _____.
A. was written in 2001
B. was awarded two prizes
C. tells a story about friendship
D. is based on the author’s personal experience
2. In the book Life of Pi the hyena is killed by _____.
A. Pi
B. the zebra
C. the orangutan
D. Richard Parker
3. How does Pi escape being eaten by the tiger?
A. By catching fishes for the tiger.
B. By locking the tiger in a cage.
C. By being the leader of the two of them.
D. By fighting with the tiger.
4. What happens after Pi arrives in Mexico?
A. The tiger dies.
B. He tries to escape.
C. The Mexicans feel sorry for him.
D. The Mexicans doubt his experience.
Why do Americans struggle with watching their weight, while the French, who consume（消耗） rich food, continue to stay thin? Now a research by Cornell University suggests how life style and decisions about eating may affect weight. Researchers concluded that the French tend to（往往，倾向于） stop eating when they feel full. However, Americans tend to stop when their plate is empty or their favorite TV show is over.
According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, a health expert, the French see eating as an important part of their life style. They enjoy food and therefore spend a fairly long time at the table, while Americans see eating as something to be squeezed（挤出） between the other daily activities. Mercola believes Americans lose the ability to sense when they are actually full. So they keep eating long after the French would have stopped. In addition, he points out that Americans drive to huge supermarkets to buy canned and frozen foods for the week. The French, instead, tend to shop daily, walking to small shops and farmers’ markets where they have a choice of fresh fruits, vegetables, and eggs as well as high-quality meats for each meal.
After a visit to the United States, Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don’t Get Fat, decided to write about the importance of knowing when to stop rather than suggesting how to avoid food. Today she continues to stay slim and rarely goes to the gym.
In spite of（尽管） all these differences, evidence shows that recent life style changes may be affecting French eating habits. Today the rate of obesity — or extreme overweight — among adults is only 6%. However, as American fast food gains acceptance and the young reject（拒绝） older traditions, the obesity rate among French children has reached 17% — and is growing.
1.In what way are the French different from Americans according to Dr. Joseph Mercola?
A. They go shopping at supermarkets more frequently.
B. They squeeze eating between the other daily activities.
C. They regard eating as a key part of their lifestyles.
D. They usually eat too much canned and frozen food.
2.This text is mainly the relationship between _________.
A. Americans and the French
B. life style and obesity
C. children and adults
D. fast food and overweight
3.The text is mainly developed _____
_____.
A. by contrast （对比） B. by space C. by process（变化过程） D. by classification（分类）
4.Where does this text probably come from?
A. A TV interview B. A food advertisement
C. A health report D. A book review（书评）
Around the world there are some festivals that for some of us may sound bizarre.
In England they celebrate the rolling cheese race, which occurs every year during the last Monday in May. This festival’s characteristic is a contest where an official rolls cheese down a steep hill and festival- goers go chasing after it. The winner is the first one to reach and catch the cheese.
Another festival celebrated in England is the world championship of grimaces (鬼脸). It is a celebration that dates back to 1297 and is celebrated during the month of September. The task is to perform the best grimace using anything you can to win.
The worldwide championship of wife lifting is celebrated in Finland. The game is based on Viking traditions where a man should carry away his neighbor’s wife. According to the rules, any woman above 17 is considered as a wife, so if you are within this age, take care while visiting this country during the month of July.
Many of you have watched Pirates of the Caribbean and have known something about pirates. The 19th of September has been declared worldwide as the day to talk like a pirate. Plenty of people have celebrated it thanks to the publicity (宣传) on the Internet.
First staged in 1998, the Boryeong Mud Festival is an attraction that pulls more than a million visitors to the South Korean City. As you all know, the town is said to be rich in minerals, so there is no shortage of mud. Mud is trucked onto Daecheon Beach for tourists and locals to enjoy the festival to their best.
The Monkey Buffet Festival is held in Thailand to develop tourism. It’s an unusual feast held for about 600 monkeys. The Monkey Buffet Festival is held in honor of the Hindu gods Ram and Hanuman and involves 3,000 kilograms of vegetables and fruits being laid out for monkeys to stuff themselves.
1.What does the underlined word “bizarre” in Paragraph1 probably mean?
A. DangerousB. StrangeC. terribleD. Familiar
2.If a participant wants to win in the rolling cheese race, he / she should __________.
A. roll as much cheese down the hill as possible
B. find the largest piece of cheese rolling downhill
C. perform the best grimace when chasing the cheese
D. be the first one to catch the cheese rolling downhill
3.According to the writer, a girl above 17 should be careful when enjoying __________.
A. the worldwide championship of wife lifting
B. the world championship of grimaces
C. the Boryeong Mud Festival
D. the Monkey Buffet Festival
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.How does the speaker describe Johnny Depp?
A. Rich and boring B. Traditional and shy. C. Amazing and interesting.
2.Who is Edward?
A. A captain. B. A man built by a scientist. C. A children’s story character.
3.According to the speaker, what was one of Depp’s most popular roles?
A. Jack Sparrow. B. The Mad Hatter. C. Edward Scissorhands.
4.Why does the speaker think Depp is successful?
A. He built his own island. B. He’s won the best actor award. C. He’s one of the highest paid actors.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What day is it today?
A. Friday. B. Saturday. C. Sunday.
2.Where will the speakers meet?
A. At the coffee bar. B. At the school gate. C. At the woman’s company.
3.When will the speakers meet?
A. At 7:00 B. At 7:30 C. At 8:00
4.What will the man do before going to the party?
A. Work at home. B. Watch a program. C. Buy a television.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where does the woman want to go?
A. To a supermarket. B. To the post office. C. To the Cross Bakery Building.
2.Where is the woman heading now?
A. East B. West C. South.
3.How far will the woman walk to get to her destination?
A. Two blocks. B. Three blocks. C. Five blocks.
