In most languages, a greeting is usually followed by “small talk”. Small talk means the little things we talk about at the start of a conversation. In English-speaking countries people often make small talk about the weather. “Nice day, isn’t it?” “Terrible weather, isn’t it?” But there is something special about small talk. It must be about something which both people have the same opinion about. The purpose of small talk is to let both people agree on something. This makes meeting people easier and more comfortable. People usually agree about the weather, so it is a safe topic for small talk. But people often disagree about religion(宗教) or politics(政治) so these are not suitable topics for small talk. The topics for small talk also depend on where the conversation is taking place. At football matches, people make small talk about the game they are watching. “Great game, isn’t it?” At bus-stops, people may comment on the transport system. “The bus service is terrible, isn’t it?”
小題1:Small talk is _______________.

A．a(chǎn) kind of conversation with short words

B．a(chǎn) greeting used when people meet each other

C．to let people disagree about something

D．something we talk about to start a conversation

小題2:The favorite topic of small talk for English people is _________.

A．the weather

B．politics

C．games

D．languages

小題3:The passage suggests that when we learn a language _________.

A．we should learn about the transport system of the country

B．we should only master the grammar and the vocabulary

C．we should learn the culture of the country

D．we should understand the importance of the language

小題4:When we say “Great game, isn’t it?”, we are in fact __________.

A．a(chǎn)sking a question	B．having a conversation
C．greeting each other	D．making small talk

小題5:What we learn from the passage is that __________.

A．different languages have different grammar

B．small talk is an important part of a language

C．small talk depends on the purpose of the conversation

D．in English-speaking countries we should talk about the weather

Introduction: Speaking English is not only about using proper grammar. To use English effectively, you need to understand the culture in which it is spoken. Here are a number of important tips to remember when speaking English in the United States.
General Points to Remember Most Americans only speak English. While it is true that more and more Americans speak Spanish, most Americans only speak English. Don't expect them to understand your native language. Americans have difficulty understanding foreign accents. Many Americans are not used to foreign accents. This requires patience from both of you!	Conversation Tips Speak about location. Talk about work. Americans commonly ask "What do you do?" It's not considered impolite（as in some countries）and is a popular topic of discussion between strangers. Talk about sports. Be careful when expressing ideas about race, religion or other sensitive topics.
Addressing People Use last names with people you do not know. Always use “Ms.” when addressing women. Many Americans prefer first names. Americans prefer informal greetings and using first names or nicknames when speaking with colleagues and acquaintances.	Public Behavior Always shake hands. Look your partner in the eye. Don't hold hands: Same sex friends do not usually hold hands or put their arms around each other in public in the United States.

小題1:"When speaking to a stranger, ask them where they are from and then make a connection with that place”can be used as a supporting sentence to _____.

A．talk about sports	B．a(chǎn)ddress people
C．talk about work	D．speak about location

小題2:If you are introduced to a woman called Pearl S. Buck, how should you address her usually?

A．What are you doing, Madam Buck?

B．How do you do, Ms. Buck?

C．How are you doing, Mrs. Pearl?

D．How are you, Miss Pearl S.?

小題3:The underlined word “acquaintance” in the table may probably mean______.

A．things that are precious

B．foreigners that you can talk to

C．persons who you are familiar with

D．languages that you can speak

小題4:We can infer from the text that ______.

A．smoking is allowed in public in the modern United States

B．different sex friends should hold hands during the first meeting

C．when you speak to others, it's polite not to look into their eyes

D．Americans shake hands when greeting the same sex friends

The new mayor of Hillsdale, Michigan, is a man of the people, ready to listen to their problems, but only until 6 p.m. Then he has to do his homework. Michael Sessions, 18, beat former mayor Douglas Ingles, 51, by just two votes and became the new mayor of Hillsdale. He is America's youngest mayor.
As Sessions was too young to enter the election in the spring of 2005, he registered- to vote on Sept. 22, one day after his 18-year-old birthday. The day after that he started his write-in campaign, which means he should persuade voters to remember his name and write it by hand on the voting ballots（選票）.
To help get his name known, Sessions earned＄700 by selling apples over the summer. He spent the money on posters and put them on the Hillsdale's lawns.
Sessions' month-long campaign included going door to door, explaining his ideas of the town's future in the kitchens of his neighbors. "They'd look at me, and say‘How old are you again? How much experience do you have?'And I say‘I'm still in high school', "he said. Sessions promised Hillsdale's voters he would renew local economy. “I was hopeful the whole time, ”he explained. One day he spent so long out on the streets knocking on the doors that he ended up in a hospital emergency room.
Sessions said that his schoolwork will not get in the way of his job as a mayor. “From 7:50 a.m. to 2:30p.m., I'11 be a student. From 3 to 6, I'11 be the mayor of Hillsdale," he said.
“He did a very brave thing that couldn't have been easy for him to do, "said Jack Vettel, a councilman in Hillsdale, a city of 8,200 about 75 miles southwest of Detroit. "He does care about this town. He's been here all his life. ”
Sessions will receive＄3, 600 a year during his four-year term, and will work out of his bedroom since the town does not provide the mayor with an office.
小題1:What is TRUE of Sessions' election campaign according to the text?

A．Sessions launched his election campaign on Sept. 22.

B．Sessions worked so hard that he once tried to persuade people in a hospital.

C．Sessions won the election campaign by a very close outcome.

D．Sessions felt disappointed when asked about his age and experience.

小題2:In order to gain more support from the voters Sessions had to do all these things EXCEPT＿.

A．put up posters'	B．renew the economy
C．sell apples	D．talk to neighbors in kitchens

小題3:What can we infer from the passage?

A．American mayors usually work from 3 p. m. to 6 p. m.

B．In America, young people are encouraged to get involved in politics.

C．All teenagers are allowed to enter political elections.

D．American mayors receive a salary of 3, 600 a year during their 4-year term.

小題4:Which of the following would best summarize the text?

A．Schoolboy becomes American's youngest mayor.

B．How to become a teenage mayor.

C．Hard work is the ticket to success.

D．Never too young to shake the world.

Historically, the term “fair trade” has meant many things. The Fair Trade League was  1 in Britain in 1881 to restrict 2  from foreign countries. In the United States, businesses and labor unions  3  “fair trade” laws to construct what economist Joseph Stiglitz calls “barriers to imports.” These so called “anti-dumping(反傾銷(xiāo))” laws allow a company that  4  a foreign one of selling a product below cost to request that the government charge special taxes to protect it from “unfair”  5 .
Such dark protectionist thoughts are far from the  6  of the organizers of the United Kingdom’s annual “Fairtrade Fortnight”. Their  7 aim is to raise the price paid to developing-country farmers for their  8  by cutting out the inflated profits of the middlemen on whom they  9  for getting their goods to distant markets. Fair-trade products  10  cocoa, coffee, tea, and bananas do not compete with domestic European production, and  11  do not have a protectionist motive(動(dòng)機(jī)).
This is how it works: In  12  for being paid a guaranteed price and meeting “agreed labor and environmental standards” (minimum wages, no farm chemicals ), poor-country farming cooperatives(合作社) receive a FAIRTRADE mark for their products, given 13  by the FAIRTRADE Labeling Organization. This mark  14  supermarkets and other businesses to sell the products at a higher than  15  price . Third-world farmers get their income increased , 16  first-world consumers get to feel virtuous: a marriage made in heaven.
The fair-trade movement,  17  in the 1980’s, has been growing rapidly. In a significant breakthrough in 1997, the British House of Commons  18  to serve only fair-trade coffee. By the end of 2007, more than 600 producers’ organizations,  19  1.4 million farmers in 58 countries, were selling fair-trade products. Today, a quarter of all bananas in UK supermarkets are sold under a FAIRTRADE mark. But FAIRTRADE-labeled products still represent a very  20 share – typically less than 1% – of global sales of cocoa, tea, coffee, etc.

小題1:	A．discovered B．founded C．encouraged D．promoted

小題2:	A．imports B．exports C．output D．trade

小題3:	A．disobey B．break C．use D．study

小題4:	A．suspects B．needs C．wants D．a(chǎn)dvertises

小題5:	A．a(chǎn)greement B．contract C．game D．competition

小題6:	A．worries B．minds C．comments D．projects

小題7:	A．educational B．political C．worthy D．immediate

小題8:	A．favour B．benefit C．interest D．produce

小題9:	A．depend B．spend C．look D．a(chǎn)pply

小題10:

A．a(chǎn)s B．like C．with D．for

小題11:

A．instead B．otherwise C．therefore D．a(chǎn)nyhow

小題12:

A．fear B．store C．preparation D．exchange

小題13:

A．secretly B．publicly C．officially D．successfully

小題14:

A．urges B．enables C．orders D．forces

小題15:

A．normal B．potential C．lowest D．best

小題16:

A．when B．while C．a(chǎn)s D．but

小題17:

A．launched B．a(chǎn)rranged C．invented D．developed

小題18:

A．wanted B．refused C．had D．decided

小題19:

A．telling B．representing C．Choosing D．receiving

小題20:

A．small B．little C．good D．large

The Spring Festival marks the first day of a new year, so the first meal is rather important. People from the North and the South have different  36 about the foods they eat on this 37 day. In Northern China, people  38 eat Jiaozi. The word Jiaozi in Chinese means the  39 and the beginning of time. According to historical  40 , in the past people from the North and the South both ate Jiaozi on Chinese New Year’s Day. Perhaps  41 the areas in Southern China  42  more rice than those in Northern China, southern people slowly  43  to eat many other kinds of food on New Year’s Day.  44 , the most common foods for the first  45 are noodles, New Year Cake and Tangyuan. The noodle  46  long life. The New Year Cake is called Niangao in Chinese, which  47  the hope of improvement in  48 year after year. Tangyuan is a symbol of  49 according to the Chinese.
To  50  a New Year visit to relatives and friends is an important activity during the Spring Festival. People also send cards to   51   a New Year’s greeting. What children love most is to set off firecrackers.   52  , as the pace of life is becoming faster and faster, people have   53  new ways to celebrate the Chinese traditional New Year. For example, many people no longer send out greeting cards.   54  , they use short messages or emails. Also to travel during the New Year holidays has come into   55  .

小題1:	A．word B．habits C．meanings D．stories

小題2:	A．usual B．unforgettable C．common D．special

小題3:	A．seldom B．usually C．a(chǎn)lways D．hardly

小題4:	A．end B．future C．result D．effect

小題5:	A．reasons B．records C．notes D．stories

小題6:	A．a(chǎn)s long as B．though C．when D．because

小題7:	A．caused B．took C．produced D．brought

小題8:	A．understood B．knew C．made D．began

小題9:	A．Besides B．Therefore C．Consequently D．Usually

小題10:

A．subject B．title C．program D．meal

小題11:

A．symbolizes B．reveals C．shows D．indicates

小題12:

A．transports B．represents C．fetches D．takes

小題13:

A．health B．family C．life D．work

小題14:

A．reunion B．luck C．happiness D．harmony

小題15:

A．do B．pay C．get D．carry

小題16:

A．express B．describe C．establish D．define

小題17:

A．Luckily B．Unfortunately C．However D．Besides

小題18:

A．given away B．made out C．got into D．taken up

小題19:

A．Instead B．Fortunately C．Moreover D．Furthermore

小題20:

A．fashion B．effect C．sight D．Power

When I was 16 years old, I made my first visit to the United States. It wasn’t the first time I had been__36__. Like most English children I learned French __37_ school and I had often been to France, so I _38_ speaking a foreign language to people who didn’t understand_39. But when I went to America I was really looking forward to_40__ a nice easy holiday without any __41__ problems.
_42 wrong I was! The misunderstanding began at the airport. I was looking for a__43 telephone to give my American friend Danny a _44_ and tell her that I had arrived. A friendly old man saw me looking lost and asked__45__ he could help me. “ Yes,” I said, “ I want to give my friend a ring.” “ Well, that’s__46__,” he exclaimed. “ Are you getting47_? But aren’t you a bit _48__?” “ Who is talking about marriage?” I replied. “ I __49_want to give my friend a ring to tell her I’ve arrived. Can you tell me _50__there’s a phone box, please?” “ Oh!” he said, “there’s a phone downstairs.”
When at last we _51__meet up, Danny explained the misunderstandings to me. “Don’t worry,” she said to me. “I had so many_52__at first. There are lots of words which the Americans__53__differently in meaning from us British. You’ll soon get used to _54__funny things they say. Most of the__55__British and American people understand each other!”

小題1:	A．out B．a(chǎn)way C．outside D．a(chǎn)broad

小題2:	A．from B．during C．a(chǎn)t D．a(chǎn)fter

小題3:	A．get used to B．was used to C．used to D．used

小題4:	A．English B．French C．Russian D．Latin

小題5:	A．buying B．having C．giving D．receiving

小題6:	A．time B．human C．language D．money

小題7:	A．Too B．What a C．What D．How

小題8:	A．cheap B．popular C．public D．good

小題9:	A．letter B．ring C．news D．information

小題10:

A．that B．if C．where D．when

小題11:

A．well B．over C．nice D．ring

小題12:

A．to marry B．to be married C．marrying D．married

小題13:

A．small B．little C．old D．young

小題14:

A．very B．just C．just now D．so

小題15:

A．where B．which C．over where D．that

小題16:

A．did B．do C．can D．had

小題17:

A．trouble B．difficulties C．things D．fun

小題18:

A．write B．speak C．use D．read

小題19:

A．every B．each C．a(chǎn)ny D．a(chǎn)ll the

小題20:

A．chance B．situation C．condition D．time

People who like travelling have their reasons. They believe that travelling can help them expand their field of view, especially in the geographical and historical sense. They also think that touring will give them more chances to enjoy different kinds of food and experience new things that would never be brought by other activities. But those who dislike travelling also have some reasons.
Travelling, in my opinion, does more good than harm. Most importantly, it broadens(擴(kuò)大) our mind. We can get in touch with other civilizations(文明), culture, customs and ideas.
Through history, most people travelled because of necessity(必要性)—not for pleasure. People travelled just in order to remain alive. They searched for food to eat or places to live in. They sometimes ran away from enemies. This is not to say that no one ever travelled just for the fun of it. In ancient times, for example, rich Romans travelled all the way to Greece to take part in the Olympic Games, and festivals. Of course, some people decided to travel just out of curiosity(好奇心). They wanted to find out what it looked like beyond the horizon(地平線(xiàn)). Also, business travel has been going on for centuries.Traders could not only make money but also learn to speak several languages and be introduced to different cultures.
So travelling does enrich our mind and draw new ideas to us. There is no doubt that we can get much from it.
小題1:The underlined word“expand”in Paragraph 1 can be replaced by “ __________”.

A．decide

B．protect

C．widen

D．lose

小題2:According to the passage, in the past most people travelled _____________.

A．for knowledge

B．to make a living

C．to get experiences

D．for fun

小題3:In the writer’s opinion, travelling can be ______________.

A．tiring

B．funny

C．expensive

D．helpful

BRITAIN is a popular tourist place．But tours of the country have advantages and disadvantages.
GOOD NEWS
Free museums．No charge for outstanding collections of art and antiquities（文物）.
Pop music．Britain is the only country to compare with the US on this score.
Black cabs．London taxi drivers know where they are going even if there are never
enough of them at weekends or night.
Choice of food．Visitors can find everything from Ethiopian to Swedish restaurants.
Fashion．Not only do fashion junkies love deeply and respect highly brand names
such as Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen; street styles are justly loved, too.
BAD NEWS
Poor service．“It’s part of the image of the place．People can dine out on the rudeness they have experienced,” says Professor Tony Seaton, of Luton University’s International Tourism Research  Center.
Poor public transport．Trains and buses are promised to defeat the keenest tourists, although the overcrowded London tube is inexplicably (難以理解的) popular.
Rain．Still in the number one complaint.
No air-conditioning．So that even splendidly hot summers become as unbearable as the downpours.
Overpriced hotels．The only European country with a higher rate of tax on hotel rooms is Denmark.
Licensing hours．Alcohol (酒) is in short supply after 11 p.m. even in “24-hour cities”.
小題1:What do tourists complain most?

A．Poor service．	B．Poor public transport.
C．Rain.	D．Overpriced hotels.

小題2:What do we learn about pop music in Britain and the US through this passage?

A．Pop music in Britain is better than that in the US.

B．Pop music in Britain is as good as that in the US.

C．Pop music in Britain is worse than that in the US.

D．Pop music in Britain is quite different from that in the US.

小題3:When are people not able to get alcohol?

A．At 12: 00 p.m.

B．At 10: 00 p.m.

C．At 11: 00 p.m.

D．At 9: 00 p.m.

小題4:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．You have to pay to visit the museums．

B．It’s very cheap to travel by taxi there.

C．You cannot find Chinese food there．

D．The public transport is poor there.

Valencia is in the east part of Spain(西班牙). It has a port on the sea, two miles away on the coast. It is the capital of a province that is also named Valencia.
The city is a market centre for what is produced by the land around the city. Most of the city’s money is made from farming. It is also a busy business city, with ships, railways, clothes and machine factories.
Valencia has an old part with white buildings, colored roofs, and narrow streets. The modern part has long, wide streets and new buildings. Valencia is well known for its parks and gardens. It has many old churches and museums. The University in the centre of the city was built in the 13th century.
The city of Valencia has been known since the 2nd century. In the 8th century it was the capital of Spain. There is also an important city in Venezuela(委內(nèi)瑞拉)named Valencia.
小題1:From the text, how many places have the name Valencia?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

小題2:What is the main difference between the two parts of the city?

A．The color of the buildings.	B．The length of the streets.
C．The age of the buildings.	D．The color of the roofs.

小題3:When was Valencia the most important city in Spain?

A．2nd century.

B．8th century.

C．13th century.

D．20th century.

小題4:What is Valencia famous for?

A．Its seaport.	B．Its University.
C．Its churches and museums.	D．Its parks and gardens.

小題5:The main income of the city of Valencia is from its_____.

A．markets.

B．business.

C．factories.

D．farming.

Nearly all our food comes from the soil. Some of us eat meat, of course, but animals live on plants. If there were no plants, we would have no animals and no meat. So the soil is very necessary for life. The top of the ground is usually covered with grass or other plants. There may be dead leaves and dead plants on the grass. The waste matter (糞) from animals also falls on it.
All soil needs food. If we do not give it any, the plants will be weak. Farmers found that animals’ waste is the best food for the soil, but chemical fertilizers (化肥) are also very useful. The same crop (莊稼) should not be grown in the same place every year; it’s better to have a different crop. A change of crop and the use of a good fertilizer will keep the land good.
小題1:What would happen first without plants?

A．People would have more crops.	B．Animals would die.
C．There would be more food.	D．There would be less soil.

小題2:What does the writer tell us in the first paragraph (段落)?

A．Leaves, plants, grass and waste live on each other.

B．There would be no animals without meat.

C．There would be no plants without animals.

D．People, animals, plants and soil live on each other.

小題3:Which is the best food for soil in the field?

A．Chemical fertilizers

B．Plants and grass.

C．Animals’ waste.

D．Different crops.

小題4:Why do we often grow a different crop in the same place every year?

A．Because we can keep the soil rich this way.

B．Because we don’t have enough land.

C．Because we want to have a different food.

D．Because we do this as a habit.

小題5:What is the best title for the passage?

A．Soil and Waste

B．Plants and Animals

C．Food and Waste

D．Soil and Food