第九模塊第四單元

Welcome to the unit

A Read the following introduction to Bible and answer the questions below.

The Bible is the great work of religious literature and is in process of formation for about 1,200 years.

The Bible is composed of history, legend, biography, genealogies, ethics, law, proverbial wisdom, sermons, prophesy, lyric poetry, hymns and theology. It is not simply a book but a collection of books.

The Bible comprises two major divisions: The Old Testament(舊約) and The New Testament(新約). The Old Testament was written originally almost entirely in Hebrew with a little Aramaic, from the 11th to the 2nd century BC. It is the national religious literature of the people of Israel. The New Testament was written in Greek from about AD 40 to 150 AD. It contains the earliest documents on the life, teaching, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus and the establishment of the Christian Church. The vast work is from the first book, Genesis(創世紀), to the last, Revelations(啟示錄).

The diversity and richness of the Bible as literature especially the Old Testament, are unparalleled. In the literary from, poetry, the Bible is surpassing.

The Bible is an assemblage of literature. It is in a unique position among the world’s books for the richness of its artistic and spiritual values. It can be called the book of books.

1. Why can the Bible be called the book of books?

2. How many parts is the Bible made up of ?

3. What contents are contained in the Bible?

B This is an introduction to the religious and private schools in the United States. Listen to the passage and choose the best answers.

1. Why is it usually expensive to attend religious and private schools?

A. The number of students they take in is limited.

B. They receive little or no support from public taxes.

C. They are only open to children from rich families.

2. Which is one of the reasons for people to send their children to private school?

A. Private schools admit more students.

B. Private schools charge less than religious schools.

C. Private schools run a variety of programs.

3. Who usually runs religious schools in the United States?

A. The churches B. The program designers C. The local authorities

Reading

A Fill in the blanks with proper words according to the Chinese given in the brackets.

1. While listening to the terrible story, I felt my facial _________(表情) beginning to change.

2. All the mistakes in my English composition had been ___________(加下劃線) in red ink by my teacher.

3. Don’t worry. There are two __________(直截了當的) ways of achieving this result.

4. The instructions for this clever method are given __________(頻繁地) and are easy to understand.

5. The president went abroad for a friendly visit, accompanied by his ____________(譯員).

6. Why you let her talk you into doing such a foolish thing is beyond my ____________(理解力).

7. Increased speed of _________(通訊) means that people can act much more quickly and work more efficiently.

8. Now I find that the level of _______(能力) among hospital staff is not as high as expected.

9. He was rather ________(含糊的) about the reasons why he was so late for class this morning.

10. Building inspectors should have a _________(完全的) knowledge of construction materials, otherwise, quality problems will come up in some buildings.

B Fill in the blanks with the phrases in the box below. Change the form where necessary.

by and by mend one’s ways in other words in honour of for instance

refer to take care of for a long time quite a few throw away

1. The Communist Party committees tried to ‘re-educate’ him but he refuse to ______________.

2. It will come all the easier to like him __________ when we are all together.

3. The stadium was named _________ the club’s first chairman.

4. Old English was in many ways similar to Modern German. _____________, the nouns, adjectives, and verbs were highly inflected.

5. The hospital now ________ patients by name, not case number.

6. I have been waiting for her _________, but she hasn’t turned up yet.

7. Now even ________ scientists continue to doubt whether cloning is beneficial to human beings.

8. Britain must now _________ this opportunity by electing a Labour government.

9. While he is away, his neighbour would like to _________ his house and pets.

10. He didn’t do well in the College Entrance Examination. ____________, he may not go to any key university.

C Complete the following English sentences according to the Chinese given in the brackets.

1. We Chinese lifestyle is ___________________(完全不同于) British people’s lifestyle.

2. Since he came out of prison, he ____________________(改過自新，迷途知返)，later he has turned into a worthy man.

3. _____________________(除非天氣有好轉)，we will have to cancel the game.

4.The programme ________________(旨在) help these people relieve poverty and become well-off.

5. ___________________(自從戰爭結束以來)，over five thousand prisoners have been released.

6. _______________(一旦發現偷竊行為)，you must report it to the police immediately.

7. Obviously it is _____________(值得看管好) the pond during these times to ensure that the fish do not become stuck.

8. The discovery is _______________(被認為是) a major breakthrough in the field of medical science.

D Complete the passage with proper words or phrases from the article on page 50 and 51 of the Student’s Book. Change the form where necessary.

There are many idioms in the English language and (1) _____ a few of them come from the Bible. Centuries ago, when the Bible was (2)_______from Hebrew into Greek, many Hebrew and Greek idioms have become part of English. However, many of these idioms have either lost their (3)_________ meanings or have only a (4)________ or loose connection to them now. For instance, “by and by” was used to mean (5)“________”, but now it means “before long”.

Originally biblical idioms had (6)________ and clear meanings because they were often intended to (7)________ the moral of a story and to give (8)______ an image to help them understand the story better. A well-known idiom “feet of clay” comes from a dream story in the Bible. Nowadays, it is used to mean that there is a (9)_______ weakness in somebody we admire or respect.

Some idioms from the Bible are connected with animals, which are used to (10)______ an image. Besides, another (11)_____ of biblical idioms is often food or things related to food. For instance, children are often (12)________ to as the “apple of their parents’ eyes”, which means that their parents love them very much and are very proud of them. It comes from an (13)______ written by King David in the Bible, in which he asked God to remember to take care of him like a child.

In fact, idioms are an important part of language and used in everything from (14)______ to films and newspaper. We can benefit a lot from learning them. For example, studying them can help improve your (15)_________ and if you learn enough important idioms, you can develop a high level of (16)_________ in your communication skills. What’s more, if you have a (17)_____

understanding of English idioms and their (18)______, you can better understand and (19)______

the history and cultures of English-speaking countries because idioms are (20)______ of history and culture.

Word Power

A Wang Ping wants to learn something about religions .He has made a chart. Help him complete the chart.

Religion Buddhism Christianity Islam

Founder and Origin Siddhartha

Gautama Jesus of Nazareth; Paul: Expediter of church development 1. _________

Role in religion Teacher God's Son God's Prophet

Nationality of founder 2. ________ Jew 3. ________

Religious book 4. ________ 5. _______ 6. ________

Ultimate Reality---God No personal God; no soul; Buddha Deified God as Heavenly Father 7. ________

The time it began About 2,500 years ago About 8___ years old About 1,400 years old

B The following are the short introductions to three greatest religions in the world. Read them carefully and give a proper word in the bank to complete the introductions.

1 _______ is one three greatest religions in the world. It originated from ancient India from 6th to 5th century BC. Its founder was Gautama Siddhartha and then called respectfully Sakyamuni. It teaches “all sentient beings are equal”(眾生平等)，is against the privileged position of Brahman（婆羅門）, but not slavery. It began to be propagated(傳播) when Asoka was in his reign, and gradually developed into a religion of world.

2 Christians are people who have belief in ____________, and they often strictly obey the doctrine (教義) and go to church. Christians profess belief in Jesus as Christ or follow the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.

3 Islam is a major world religion founded by Muhammad in Arabia in the early 7th century AD. The Arabic word islam means “submission” - specifically, submission to the will of the one God, called Allah in Arabic. Islam is a strictly monotheistic religion, and its adherents, called________, regard the Prophet Muhammad as the last and most perfect of God's messengers, who include Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and others.

Grammar and usage

A Fill in the blanks with appropriate subordinators.

1. Whether the flight to Shanghai will be delayed is ________ I’m especially worried about.

2. _______ wants to see the film must buy a ticket first. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be get into the cinema.

3. I will never forget the days _______ I worked together with you. So I hope we can keep in touch with each other.

4. The British are not so familiar with different cultures and other ways of doing things, ______ is often the case in other countries.

5. I often do every single bit of housework _______ my husband Bob just does the dishes now and then.

6. I think my father would like to know _______ I’ve been up to so far, so I decide to send him a quick note.

7. _______ you call me to say you’re not coming, I’ll see you at the same place where we met last time. .

8. _______ close parents are to their children has a great effect on the character of the children.

9. In the book, Newton is shown as a gifted scientist who stood at the point in history ________ magic ended and science began.

10. ______ most of the earth’s surface is covered by water, fresh water is very rare and precious.

B Combine the following sentences using the appropriate subordinators.

1. The boy is very young. He doesn’t know much about the society.

______________________________________________________________________________.

2. These students like the school very much. Their parents have come to China for business.

______________________________________________________________________________.

3. Leo will never forget the moment. At that moment, Mr. Green gave him a lot of valuable advice on how to improve his writing.

______________________________________________________________________________.

4. You might often see overweight boys and girls. This means that young people’s weight has become a big problem.

______________________________________________________________________________.

5. So there is a Keep Fit Summer Camp in our city. In the camp, the overweight teenagers can take enough exercise and have a healthy diet.

______________________________________________________________________________.

6. The question that our teacher raised today is very difficult. No one in my class can answer it.

______________________________________________________________________________.

7. I have kept the photo where I can always see it. In this way, it reminds me of the days when I studied in Britain.

______________________________________________________________________________.

8. When someone gets old they often go to live in a home with other old people. In that place, there are nurses to look after them.

______________________________________________________________________________.

9. The old worker has limited technical knowledge. He has a lot of experience.

______________________________________________________________________________.

10. He didn’t know what had happened to his wife. Later I told it to him.

______________________________________________________________________________.

Task

A1 Listen to the following passage about Xuan Zhuang, then fill in the blanks, using the information you have got from the listening.

Xuan Zhuang was a Chinese(1)_____ and monk. In 629, he left China to go to(2)_____ to study there. He made a long(3)_______westward and reached Kashmir in northwest India. He studied (4)_______ and traveled widely in India. Xuan Zhuang became a famous scholar in India. He returned to China in 645. The Tang(5)______ received him and listened to his description of life in foreign countries. The emperor offered Xuan Zhuang a job as a government(6)______ , but Xuan Zhuang did not accept it. He wanted to(7)______ Buddhist writings from Sanskrit into Chinese. These Chinese translations helped Buddhism to(8)______ more easily in China. Xuan Zhuang also wrote a long(9)______ of his travels. He called this "Records of the Western Regions". (10) _______ still study this book today.

A2 Listen to a dialogue between a man and a woman and choose the correct answers to the following questions.

1. Where does the conversation most probably take place?

A. In a shop B. At home C. In the street

2. Who are Anne and Dick?

A. The speakers’ children

B. The speakers’ friend’s children

C. The speakers’ niece and nephew

3. What will the speakers buy for Dick?

A. Some records B. A toy suit C. A book

A3 Listen to the following story and then choose the correct answers to the following questions.

1. Why did the children come to help the old woman?

A. Because their parents wanted them to do so.

B. Because they wanted to start a cookie store of their own some day.

C. Because there was too much work for her to do alone.

2. What did the children do when the old woman fell ill?

A. They took turns to look after the old woman.

B. They baked and sold cookies to pay the doctor.

C. They baked cookies for the old woman.

3. What is the message we get from the story?

A. Friendship is more valuable than anything else.

B. The world is full of warmth and sympathy.

C. Happiness lies is sharing

B1 Read the following passage and decide which statements are true(T)and which are false(F). Correct the statements that are false.

Origins of English Idioms

The knowledge of the origins of English idioms about animals may help us understand what they mean better. Many idiomatic expressions come from the everyday life of the English people. Some idioms originate from allegories. An allegory is a style of a story in which the characters and events are meant as symbols of truth. For example, “bell the cat” refers to a person who takes a risk or does something that is dangerous, esp. for the good of others. The idiom is originated from a story of some mice that agreed to put a bell round a cat’s neck so that they would know when the cat was near. But none of the mice had the courage to do it. The other examples are: sour grapes, the lion’s share, sweet lemon, and so on.

The second chief source of English idioms is the Bible. For instance, “separate the sheep from the goat” comes from the Bible, Matthew 25:32, referring to wild goats that have wandered into a group of sheep and must be separated from them. Its figurative meaning is to separate the good from the bad. The other idiomatic expressions springing from the Bible are the apple of one’s eye, a drop in the bucket, a thorn in the flesh, and the like.

A legend refers to a story that was handed down from the past, esp. one that may not be true. For instance, “fight like Kilkenny cats”, this idiom springs from the legend that some soldiers in the Irish town of Kilkenny once tied two cats together by their tails and made them fight. The fight was so fierce that all that was left of the cats was their tails. It is now used to denote to fight fiercely.

Another idioms concerning cat is from the origin of folk legend, “a cat has nine lives”, referring to the belief that a cat, because of its natural qualities of speed, cleverness, etc., is very difficult to kill and stays alive in situations that would have caused the death of most other animals.

After the legend, literary works, including dramas, poems and novels, is another major source of English idioms. “Beard the lion in his den” is a point in case from the poem of Marmion by Sir Walter Scott, indicating to face someone frightening or powerful. By Shakespeare, “to give the Devil his due” expresses to be fair in giving praise to a person even though one does not like much or approve of him. “Let sleeping dogs lie”, “The world is somebody’s oyster” are examples of the same source.

In addition, myths, allusions and historical stories remain the sources of English idioms, too.

1. If you have a good knowledge of the origins of English idioms, you will understand what they mean better.

______________________________________________________________________________.

2. The idiom “fight like Kilkenny cats” comes from the Bible.

______________________________________________________________________________.

3. The idiom “bell the cat” refers to some mice that agreed to put a bell round a cat’s neck so that they would know when the cat was near.

______________________________________________________________________________.

4. English idioms are originated from a variety of different sources, such as the Bible, legends, literary works, myths, and even historical stories.

5. If you don’t understand the idiom “Let sleeping dogs lie”, you should refer to the Bible.

______________________________________________________________________________.

B2 Read the following passage and choose the correct answers.

Many people today think that Father Christmas is just the British name for Santa Claus. Whilst it is true that Father Christmas and Santa are considered virtually the same today, Father Christmas is a completely different person entirely, with a much longer history.

The American Santa Claus has one source. He originated from Dutch settlers' stories about Sinter Klass, the Dutch name for St Nicholas, and how he gave presents to girls and boys.

St Nicholas was Bishop of Myra, in Turkey in the 3rd century AD, who would travel in his red bishop's robes and give gifts to the poor. He was believed to have been particularly kind to children. Apparently, he was also very shy. Legend has it that one day, wanting to give money to a family in secret, he dropped some gold coins down the chimney, where they landed in a girl's stocking. St. Nicholas didn't 'arrive' in Britain until after the Norman invasion, and when he did arrive his story was quickly absorbed into the legend of Father Christmas. By this time, our Father Christmas had already been around for centuries!

The earliest Father Christmas appeared during ancient British mid-winter festivals. He wasn't known as Father Christmas then, of course, but as a general pagan figure who represented the coming of spring. He would wear a long, green hooded cloak and a wreath of holly, ivy or mistletoe. It is the association with holly and mistletoe, and his ability to lift people's spirits, that we retain from this ancient Father Christmas. When Britain fell under Saxon rule in the fifth and sixth centuries AD, Father Christmas took on the characteristics of the Saxon Father Time, also known as King Frost or King Winter. Someone would dress up as King Winter and be welcomed into homes, where he would sit near the fire and be given something to eat and drink -- a bit like our mince pies and whisky for Father Christmas, perhaps? It was thought that by being kind to King Winter, the people would get something good in return: a milder winter. Thus Father Christmas became associated with receiving good things.

This association was strengthened when the Vikings invaded Britain and brought their own midwinter traditions with them. The 20th through the 31st of December is known as Jultid -- the time when the Norse God Odin takes on the character of Jul, one of his twelve characters, and visits the earth. The name lives on today as Yuletide. During Jultid Odin, a portly, elderly man with a white beard and a long, blue, hooded cloak was said to have ridden through the world on his eight-legged horse Sleipnir, giving gifts to the good and punishments to the bad. Our Father Christmas became fat like Odin and developed the ability to automatically know whether people had been bad or good. Also like Odin, Father Christmas could travel magically and be in lots of places in a short space of time.

1. How was St Nicholas like?

A. kind and shy B. greedy and cruel C. helpful but rude D. generous but aggressive

2. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. Father Christmas originated from Dutch settlers’ stories.

B. The name Father Christmas came into being long before Santa Claus

C. The earliest Father Christmas appeared as a general pagan figure who represented the coming of spring.

D. All young children think Father Christmas is a happy old man with a long red beard and a long white robe and they believe in him.

3. We can infer from the passage that _______________.

A. Father Christmas and Santa are considered virtually the same today.

B. The role of Father Christmas changed over several centuries.

C. It is believed that Father Christmas could travel magically and in lots of places in a short space of time.

D. In the year of 300 AD, there was a kind old man and his name was Saint Nicholas., who was always ready to help the poor and often gave presents to them

C Jack is asking about Tom’s injured knee and his practice. Complete their dialogue with proper sentences in the box below.

Jack: Tom, how is your knee today? (1)_________

Tom: No, it feels a lot better today. I went to the doctor and he told me it was not serious. I should be fine for Saturday’s game.

Jack: Great! But why don’t you take it easy today? Maybe just practise throwing. Don’t do any running.

Tom: Ok. D you have any news about Michigan and what we can expect in Saturday’s game?

Jack: Yes, (2)_______ They are in my office. If you want to see them after practice, you can.

Tom: Oh, that would be great. (3)__________

Jack: Michigan has a strong team. (4)________ They are one of the top football teams in the country now since they beat Iowa last weekend. Come to think of it, why don’t you go ahead and check out the game films right now? And just rest that knee this afternoon. (5)________

Tom: All right. I’ll be back tomorrow for full practice.

D Here is a brief introduction to the functions of religions. Read the passage carefully and complete each blank with one proper word. The first letter has been given.

From the earliest known (1)e______ of human religion by Homo Sapiens Neanderthalens is around 100,000 years ago to the (2)p______ day, religion continues to be a very influential aspect of human lives.

Today, there are numerous challenges and (3)p______ faced by humans from every possible background, location and social class. Every day people must face issues of (4)h_____, safety and mortality. It is because of these daily challenges that religion continues to (5)e_____. Religion is the universal tool for (6)e______ things which we do not understand through the context the known physical world.

Although there are (7)c_____ religions, each different from the other, they all serve the same (8)p_______. Each answers questions which all humans seem to be programmed to ask: Why are we here? What happens when I die? How shall I live my life?

Religion helps us to transmit our values from one generation to another, and(9)i_______ the way we interact with the natural (10)e________. It teaches us how to see ourselves in light of the universe and gives purpose and meaning to life.

Project

A1 Read the article on Pages 62 and 63 of the Student’s Book and answer the following questions.

1. Why did the emperor instruct a group of officials to go to India?

______________________________________________________________________________.

2. What did the officials do when they met two Indian monks

______________________________________________________________________________.

3. Why was the Honglu Temple renamed the White Horse Temple?

______________________________________________________________________________.

4. What will happen if you stand about 20 metres away from the Qiyun Pagoda and clap your hands?

______________________________________________________________________________.

5. Is there any significance of the newly-built Indian-style pagoda west of the White Horse Temple? Why?

______________________________________________________________________________.

A2 Read the article on Pages 62 and 63 of the Student’s Book again and fill in the chart below.

Main ideas More details

Part1(para.1) Brief introduction of the White Horse Temple It is located in the (1)______east of China and was the first (2)_______ temple in China.

Part2(para.2-5) The story behind the temple The emperor had a dream of Buddha, then (3)______ a group of officials to go to India. The officials met two Indian (4)______ and then brought them back. Later the Honglu Temple was renamed the White Horse Temple.

Part3(para.6) The architecture of the White Horse Temple It is very interesting and (5)_________ in its architecture. It is made up of a (6)________, different halls and bedrooms for the monks. There is also a 13-storey pagoda, which is called the Qiyun Pagoda.

Part4(para.7-9) The importance of the White Horse Temple It is a holy Buddhist site today and one of the most famous tourist (7)______. It is also one of

the first(8)______buildings that the government listed to receive special (9)________.

B Fill in the blanks with proper words according to the first letter provided.

1. Although an e_______ and a parent, I can not claim to be an expert.

2. How can I afford that expensive car on my own s________?

3. My teacher had i_______ me what to say when questioned.

4. The eight bedrooms are very comfortable, many have enough s_______ facilities.

5. If you m________ ten by seven you will get seventy.

6. The hotels and g________ still treat their visitors like royalty.

7. After working in the prison service, he joined the defence forces before becoming an intelligence a________.

8. He got down on his knees and began to p______ to God for help.

C Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the form where necessary.

to this day dream of wake up on behalf of remind --of --

center around rectangle circumstance in use sound like

1. In the 16th century, village life __________ religion.

2. In the past, he was always __________ of becoming a teacher. However, he has changed his opinion.

3. The meeting room is ________ at the moment, so we’ll have to go somewhere else.

4. His idea that we should go out for a picnic on Sunday__________ fun.

5. When he _________ this morning, he found that his wife had gone to work.

6. I want to express my thanks to you for your great help ___________my family.

7. __________ I don’t know who told the secret to Katy.

8. The letter ________ me ______ the childhood life I had in the countryside.

9. Do you know the child can cut a ________out of a piece of paper?

10. The result was the best that that could be expected under the _______________.

D Translate the following sentences, using the words or phrased given in the brackets.

1. 直到杰克的母親對他和盤托出，他才明白為什么跟他生氣.(until)

______________________________________________________________________________.

2. 看到這場事故，一群人聚過來看看是否他們能幫什么忙.(a group of)

______________________________________________________________________________.

3. 瑪麗的嬸嬸是一位大學教授，她經常向瑪麗和她的朋友們講授如何更有效地學習外語的方法.（instruct）

______________________________________________________________________________.

4. 你是怎么得到這幅畫的？（possession）

______________________________________________________________________________.

5.你無論如何都不得離開這所房子。（circumstance）

______________________________________________________________________________.

6. 這次會議必須以環境問題為中心議題。（center around）

______________________________________________________________________________.

7. 只有了解更多，我們才能去改善形勢。（it is/was------that-----）

______________________________________________________________________________.

Self-assessment

A1 Listen to four short dialogues and choose the best answers to questions 1 to 4.

1. What is the man going to do on Sunday afternoon?

A. To visit a museum. B. To get married. C. To attend a wedding.

2. What's the man doing?

A. Developing a film. B. Watching a movie. C. Taking a photo.

3. Where does the conversation probably take place?

A. In a tea house. B. In a school. C. In a garage.

4. What's the woman complaining about?

A. The electricity bill. B. The dirty kitchen. C. The power failure.

A2 Listen to a longer dialogue and choose the best answers to questions 5 to 7.

5. How many American national holidays are mentioned?

A. 5 B. 6 C. 7

6. Which of the following holidays has not an exact date every year?

A. Thanksgiving Day B. Independence Day C. New Year’s Day

7. What’s the date of Independence Day?

A. on February 12th B. on July 4th C. on December 25th

A3 Listen to the following passage and choose the best answers to questions 8 to 10.

8.When can you come if you want to see how bread was baked 200 years ago?

A. On Sunday afternoon. B. On Tuesday morning. C. On Saturday afternoon

9.Where did Sir Henry come from?

A. England. B. The USA. C. France

10.How many interesting places are mentioned here?

A. Two. B. Three. C. Four.

B Choose the one answer that best completes each of the sentences below.

1. My sister was against my suggestion that we go to Shanghai for our holidays while my brother was __________ it.

A. in favour of B. in memory o C. in honour of D. in search of

2. This is a very interesting book. I’ll buy it, _________.

A. how much may it cost B. no matter how it may cost

C. however much it may cost D. how may it cost

3. I hear _______ boys in your school like playing football in their spare time, though others prefer basketball.

A. quite a lot B. quite a few C. quite a bit D. quite a little

4. ________ makes this shop different is that it offers more personal services.

A. What B. Who C. Whatever D. Whoever

5. It was after he got what he had desired ______ he realized it was not so important.

A. that B. when C. since D. as

6. ______ is the case with humans, animals also love their babies.

A. Which B. It C. What D. As

7. I really don’t know ______ I had my money stolen.

A. when was it that B. that it was when

C. where it was that D. it was where

8. -----The boss said we had only three days to finish the work.

---- Don’t worry. We have already ______ two thirds of it.

A. got down B. got through C. throw away D. given away

9. Listening to ______ music is quite _______ useful form of relaxation.

A. the, a B. /, an C. the, / D. /, a

10. Always read the ________ on the bottle carefully and take the right amount of medicine.

A. explanations B. instructions C. descriptions D. introductions

11. ----How long do you think it will be _______China sends a manned spaceship to the moon?

------Perhaps two or three years.

A. when B. until C. that D. before

12. ----Why didn’t you tell him about the meeting?

----He rushed out of the room ______ I could say a word.

A. before B. until C. when D. after

13. We often provide our children with toys, footballs or basketballs, _______ that all children like these things.

A. thinking B. think C. to think D. thought

14. ______ the employees’ working efficiency, the supervisor will allow them to have a coffee break.

A. Improving B. To improve C. Having improved D. Improved

15. ----When was the weather like when you were on holiday?

-----Fine. It ______ sunny every day until Wednesday.

A. is B. was C. will be D. would be

C Fill in each of the blanks in the passage below with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

Though pyramids are found in Egypt, the word “pyramid” comes from the Greek language. _ 1 the Greeks first arrived in Egypt long ago, they found many huge stones 2 which they named “pyramids”. The Greeks wondered 3 the Egyptians had built the great pyramids, but they could not find the 4 __, and even now we still don't know exactly how.

It is 5 in many ancient books written in Arabic (阿拉伯語) and found in Egypt that the Egyptians 6 life after death. When a person 7 _, his family or friends placed the things near his body that they thought he might need. Emperors or kings had great __8 , so their bodies were kept inside the great pyramids. They had had them built for many years even while they were 9 .

The Great Pyramid, which was 482 feet high and 10 two square kilometres of land, was built for King Khufu with 2,300,000 blocks of large stones, the smallest of which even 11 over 2,500 kilograms, as 12 as an ear.

How the ancient Egyptians 13 , moved and lifted such heavy stones without modem machines has always remained a great 14 to present scholars. Perhaps these stones were taken across the Nile in boats at 15 times. Maybe they were moved on miler on land and 16 up along sloping (傾斜的) roads to the sides of the pyramids. It is still a great 17 that the stones 18 together so well that even a straight knife cannot be pushed between them.

Century after century, strong winds have been 19 yellow sand around the pyramids. Different rulers have come and gone. Everything seems to 20 except the pyramids. They have remained a 5,000-year-old mystery (奧秘) in silence.

D Read the following passages. Choose the best answer that answers each of the questions or completes each of the unfinished statements according to what you have read.

A

NEW YORK- Picking a Christmas tree takes most people a few minutes, or a couple of hours if they head for the woods. Dave Murbach needs 11 months.

Almost every day of every year, Murbach' s thoughts turn to vision of a perfectly shaped evergreen tree that will take everyone's breath away.

Murbach is the man responsible for finding the towering tree that graces Manhattan' s Rockefeller Center each Christmas season.

“I'm always looking for a tree,” the center's chief gardener says. “I look for it even when I go to the beach in the summer. It' s like a homework assignment hanging over your head.”

And if he gets it wrong, there's nothing hiding it.

“Every day it's up,400,000 people go by, and 2.5 million people watch the lighting celebration on television,”he says.

This year's tree, a 74-foot Nomy spruce (云杉) from Richfield, Ohio, flown to New York on the word's largest cargo plane, was lighted on December 2.

The arrival of the tree leads in the Christmas season in New York -- a tradition dating to 1931, when the workers building Rockefeller Center put up a small tree with ornaments (裝飾品).

The search for the next year's tree starts soon after the old tree is chopped up for wood chips and horse-jumping logs.

Murbach has three standards: The tree must be at least 65 feet high, at least 35 feet across and leaves dense (密集的) enough not to see through.

That's not as simple as it sounds. Though forests are full of evergreens, few get enough sunlight or space to fill out. And branches in snow regions often break under the weight, making trees uneven.

Back at the office, he sorts through hundreds of letters from people offering their trees, many addressed simply to “Mr. Christmas Tree Man.”

Despite the occasional anxiety attack and sleepless night, Murbach knows the effect the tree has on people: “It's for bringing people together, attempting to bring together people you love. That's what I hope it sets off.”

But Murbach says he's always too worn out to celebrate Christmas.

1.Murbach spends a lot of time that are exhibited in Manhattan' s Rockefeller Center each Christmas season.

A. taking care of Christmas trees B. deciding on the perfect evergreens

C. sorting the letters from people D. deciding the TV programs

2.It' s likely that Murbach takes his job seriously because he wants_______ .

A. everyone to be happy with his choice B. to make everybody unable to breathe

C. to show off his special ability D. to attract people's attention to himself

3.According to Murbach' s standard of trees, the best tree must_______ .

A. be evergreen B. have lots of space between their branches

C. be tall enough not to see through D. be equally balanced

4.Why doesn’t Murbach celebrate Christmas?

A. He is too tired. B. He himself has nothing to decorate the tree.

C. He himself has no tree. D. He has no loved family members-to reunite.

B

One day an American friend invited me to a party. It wasn't a real party; it was some kind of informal get-together. Since it was summer time, he had a cookout where most of his American friends and relatives were known to me, but there were others I had never met before.

It was the most embarrassing (令人窘迫的) party for me when I noticed that everybody was wearing jeans and simple T-shirts for the day, while I arrived in proper dress with my shoes and my hair all fixed for a fancy party. It was hard to explain my embarrassment to other guests. When one of them turned around and said, “What nice clothes! What's the occasion (場合)?” I felt my face burning hot with embarrassment. I did not answer at all. If she knew how bad I already felt, she wouldn't have come near me. But she did. Maybe she didn't ask intentionally to make me feel bad or uncomfortable, but my reaction had to do with the way I already felt. I could have told her I had to go to another party after- wards, but I did not want to continue the conversation.

Many times I thought about going home and changing, but I knew that they would notice. It would be even worse for me, because I knew they would quickly think that I felt out of place. So I wanted to pretend that I was okay...

I had already realized their customs were different from mine; but after I talked to my friend, I was more certain that people here are more casual (隨意的). They care less about formality, unless it is a special occasion, like a wedding or a very formal invitation.

In contrast (對比), my culture is totally the opposite. For example, in Cape Verdean culture, if a friend invited me to his house on a special day, even if it is not a real party, one should appear well dressed or otherwise the host will be annoyed thinking you are disrespectful to him or the other guests. We do dress casually for going on picnic or on ordinary days, but not normally to go over to a friend's when invited, especially if other people will be there.

After all, I think that my problem at the party wasn't that I wasn't accepted by the Americans; but my feeling was so bad that I couldn't fit in the group even if nobody noticed, because I was the one who discovered the difference in the first place. It doesn't matter if people dress differently, but I was the only one different in the group. I felt I was the one who should make their customs suitable for me. After that, I decided to learn more about American culture, so now I don't have as many problems as I've had in the past.

5. Which of these statements describes the cookout in the story?

A. It was very formal. B. People wore casual clothing.

C. It took place in a restaurant. D. People care more about formality.

6. This story is mainly about ________ .

A. culture differences B. living in the United States

C. what to do at a cookout D. how to get prepared for a cookout

7. It can be inferred from the story that the author_______ .

A. left the cookout early B. probably didn't enjoy the cookout

C. never wears blue jeans D. will never go to a cookout

E Write a passage of about 120 words according to the following information.

假如昨天你按照圖中規定的順序（從主樓出發）參觀了一所高級中學。請根據以下圖表和中文提示，用英語向其他同學介紹你參觀該校時的所見所聞。

參觀地點 學生活動

實驗樓 做實驗

藝術中心 練樂器

報告廳 聽報告

操場 比賽足球

注意：1．詞數：100左右。

2．生詞：噴泉 fountain

3．開頭已為你寫好。

Dear classmates,

May I have your attention, please? ___________________________________________

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