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    In the United States, it is not customary（习惯的）to telephone someone very early in the morning. If you telephone him early in the morning, __________ he is shaving or having breakfast, the __________ of the call shows that the matter is very important and __________ immediate attention. The same meaning _________with telephone calls made after 11:00 pm. If someone __________ a call during sleeping hours, he considers it a matter of life and __________.The time chosen for the call communicates its importance.

In __________ life, time plays a very important part. In the U.S., ____________ may feel they are not well _________ if the invitation to a dinner party is extended only three or four days before the party date. But it is ______ in all countries. In other areas of the world, it may be considered ____________ to make an appointment too far ahead of ___________ because plans made for a date more than a week away may be_________. The meaning of time differs in different parts of the world. Thus, misunderstandings _________between people from cultures that treat time differently. Promptness（准时）is __________ highly in American life, for example. If not prompt, they may be regarded as impolite or not fully __________. In the U.S. no one would think of keeping a business ____waiting for an hour, it would be too impolite. A person who is five minutes late is __________ to make a short _________. If he is less than five minutes late, he will say a few words of __________, though perhaps he will not complete the sentence.

1.A.and B.but C.while D.until

2.A.reason B.time C.person D.place

3.A.requires B.explains C.pays D.invites

4.A.comes B.goes C.deals D.happens

5.A.sends B.phones C.receives D.replies

6.A.help B.trouble C.death D.attitude

7.A.social B.special C.official D.local

8.A.hosts B.waiters C.guests D.postmen

9.A.thought B.respected C.praised D.served

10.A.true B.same C.common D.different

11.A.foolish B.brave C.polite D.impossible

12.A.future B.schedule C.delivery D.preparation

13.A.recovered B.ignored C.recognized D.forgotten

14.A.cause B.spread C.appear D.transport

15.A.told B.looked C.believed D.valued

16.A.capable B.valuable C.comfortable D.responsible

17.A.merchant B.partner C.owner D.competitor

18.A.expected B.ordered C.suggested D.requested

19.A.apology B.speech C.fine D.performance

20.A.regret B.enjoyment C.introduction D.explanation

How to Plan a Holiday Trip

Each year, millions of people load up the family car and set out on a holiday trip. Whether it's to grandma's house, a family reunion or simply a holiday getaway, these yearly road trips can often be the source of tiredness and stress. The thought of being trapped in the car with restless children or the possibility of car trouble along the way is enough to make anyone consider staying home.1.

Plan out the route for your car trip. If you're planning on driving to your holiday destination, a little planning can help make your trip easy.2. Remember, it's likely that you won't be the only person on the road during the holidays, and traffic is always a factor. Alternate（可供选择的）routes or shortcuts can help reduce time spent in traffic jams and get you to your destination sooner.

3. Although traveling by air can be quick and convenient, it can also be much more expensive. Start planning your trip early to take advantage of advance purchase discounts. Many airlines become extremely busy during the holidays so booking in advance can also help ensure that you get the flights that you want.

Consider your luggage needs. Before you begin packing, think about how many people will be in your car and how much room they will need to travel comfortably. This could affect the number of bags that you can take along.4. Not only is the possibility of lost luggage a problem, but most airlines now charge extra for checked baggage. For a family of four, carrying a few bags each could result in several hundred dollars worth of baggage fees during your trip.5.

A.As an alternative to driving or flying, check into the possibility of traveling by train.

B. Plan your trip to avoid peak travel times.

C. Luckily, with a little planning, these situations can be avoided.

D. Book airline tickets in advance.

E. Try to pack as lightly as possible.

F. For traveling by air, the number of bags that you take is a much bigger concern.

G. Consider your starting point and desired destination, and investigate several possible routes.

    The third-generation hybrid rice（杂交水稻）which was developed by Yuan Longping, the "father of hybrid rice", and his team ran its first public yield（产量）monitoring from Monday to Tuesday and achieved high output. The final yield of the tested variety, G3-1S/P19, came to1046.3 kg per mu（about 667 square meters）, based on two pieces of land in Qingzhu Village under the city of Hengyang in central China's Hunan Province.

"Some previous high-yielding hybrid rice varieties in China took 160 to even 180 days from sowing（播种）to harvesting, while the figure was shortened to around 125 days for the new variety. This is one of the most important features（特征）of the third-generation hybrid rice that can reduce the use of pesticides（杀虫剂）and fertilizers（化肥）, thus reducing cost and improving production efficiency." said Qian Qian, the deputy director of the China National Rice Research Institute.

Unlike the previous two generations that required a large amount of water and fertilizers as well as demanding growing conditions and technological support, the third-generation hybrid rice is easier to be cultivated（种植）by ordinary farmers. So the soil, altitude and climate of the test site were not "ideal conditions" carefully selected beforehand but were close to the paddies（稻田）of ordinary farmers.

Nowadays. China's average yield of rice is about 500 kg per mu. Ordinary farmers can produce 600 kg to 700 kg of rice per mu by growing some excellent second-generation hybrid rice varieties. However, under the same planting conditions and environment, the yield of the third-generation hybrid rice could reach 800 kg per mu. China now feeds around 20 percent of the world's population with less than 9 percent of the world's arable（可耕种的）land.

At present, Yuan's team has nine third-generation hybrid rice combinations under trial, which are expected to achieve commercial seed production in the following three to four years and hope to apply the technology into the research of sea rice. The third-generation hybrid rice has the comprehensive strength to promote a greener and more sustainable development of China's rice production with higher quality and yield.

1.What feature of the new hybrid rice does Qian Qian mainly talk about?

A.It saves a lot more water. B.It achieves a higher yield.

C.It saves much more farmland. D.It has a shorter growing period.

2.Why is the new hybrid rice not tested in ideal areas?

A.The ordinary farmers master planting technology.

B.The researchers want to reduce the experiment cost.

C.The growing conditions the new hybrid rice needs are simple.

D.The previous rice farming provides researchers with experience.

3.What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A.The high output of the third-generation hybrid rice.

B.The future of the new hybrid rice variety.

C.The advanced technology of the research on hybrid rice.

D.The differences between the three hybrid rice varieties.

4.Where is this text most likely from?

A.A guide book. B.A news report.

C.An advertisement. D.A fashion magazine.

    Any foreigner who has tried to learn Chinese can tell how hard it is to master the tones required to speak and understand. And anyone who has tried to learn to play the violin or other instruments can report similar challenges.

Now researchers have found that people with musical training have an easier time learning Chinese. Writing in the online edition of Nature Neuroscience，researchers from Northwestern University say that both skills draw on the same parts of the brain that help people discover changes in pitch(音调).

One of the study's authors，Nina Kraus，said the findings suggested that studying music “actually tunes our sensory system”.This means that schools that want children to do well in languages should hesitate before cutting music programs，Dr. Kraus said. She said music training might also help children with language problems.

Mandarin(普通话)speakers have been shown to have a more complex encoding(编码) of pitch patterns in their brains than English speakers do. This is because in Mandarin and other Asian languages，pitch plays a central role. A single­syllable word can have several meanings depending on how it is intoned.

For this study，the researchers looked at 20 non­Chinese speaking volunteers，half with no musical background and half who have studied an instrument for at least six years.

As they were shown a movie，the volunteers also heard an audio tape of the Mandarin word “mi” in three of its meanings:squint，bewilder and rice. The researchers recorded activities in their brain stems to see how well they were processing the sounds. Those with a music background showed much more brain activities in response to the Chinese sounds.

The lead author of the study，Patrick C.M.Wong，said it might work both ways. It appears that native speakers of tonal languages may do better at learning instruments.

1.When learning Chinese，a foreigner will find ________.

A.he has a difficult time learning music at the same time

B.he has an easier time learning music at the same time

C.it is hard to master the tones required to speak and understand

D.it is easy to use the brain to help him discover changes in pitch

2.Why does Chinese learning have something to do with music training?

A.Because there is the same difficulty in learning Chinese and music.

B.Because skills to learn the two make use of the same parts of the brain.

C.Because music training might help people with language study.

D.Because people who do well in Chinese study do well in music.

3.The underlined word “intoned” in the fourth paragraph can be replaced by the word “____”.

A.created B.spelled C.seemed D.pronounced

4.What would be the best title for this passage?

A.Mandarin Speakers Are Smarter than English Speakers

B.Skilled Ear for Music May Help Language Study

C.Pitch Plays a Central Role in Chinese Learning

D.Schools Need to Develop Music Programs

    I cried the first time I saw the Notre Dame（巴黎圣母院）years ago. I'd waited my entire life to see this great French architecture, and experienced it in its full glory on a bright sunny day. Last night, I again cried for the centuries-old church while watching it burn.

I hadn't expected to spend my evening that way. My friend and I were having dinner at a cafe a block or so away from the Notre Dame, choosing to skip going inside with the intention to go back the next day.

However, we heard that it caught fire, so we left the cafe and ran towards the church, following heavy smoke from it, and soon we joined a nearly silent crowd. Some were praying, some were crying, but most were staring in disbelief at the disaster happening before us. The fire continued to get worse. About 400 firefighters were working to control the fire. We could see their flashlights shining as they inspected the front from a balcony.

The Notre Dame is part of the heartbeat of Paris, I reflected on the experiences I've had there, from attending a bread market out front to admiring the beautiful windows and architecture inside. It is a spot that helps make Paris magical. And here we were, watching it burn down. It was too much to handle, but it was impossible to look away.

About 9：30 pm, the gathered crowd spontaneously（自发地）began to sing Hymns（圣歌）to the church. We sang along with the group, feeling at once less like tourists and more like members of them. I hadn't imagined all that before.

For hundreds of years, the Notre Dame has seen the most joyous and the most terrible moments in the lives of both France and her people. And when everyone was able to become one emotional force, it showed that even in her darkest hour, the Notre Dame was still there to bring us all together.

1.Why did the author cry for the Notre Dame for the first time?

A.She was touched by its greatness. B.She was sorrowful to watch it burn.

C.She was regretful for missing its glory. D.She was excited about French cultures.

2.What was the author doing when the Notre Dame caught fire?

A.Heading for a faraway cafe. B.Visiting a church with a friend.

C.Eating nearby with a friend. D.Wandering along the street alone.

3.What can we know about the fire scene?

A.People expressed their sadness in different ways.

B.People were nervously rushing in different directions.

C.Hundreds of volunteers joined in putting out the fire.

D.Firefighters kept people away with shining flashlights.

4.What impressed the author most?

A.The church allowed visitors to gain great experiences.

B.Many foreign tourists became members of the church.

C.The church survived disasters for hundreds of years.

D.People were brought together to sing to the church.