In America, square dancing has been the most popular form of folk dancing since the early days. In early times, when men and women worked in groups to build a barn (谷仓) or harvest crops, they danced when the work was done. The music came from the violin for the most part, but if there was no one to play a musical instrument, clapping was used to produce the rhythm to which people dance. The early settlers danced in a store, in a barn, or in a farm kitchen.
A square is formed by four couples （对）who stand facing the centre of the square. Each couple stand on one side of the square, the boy on the left and the girl on the right.
The caller is an important part of the dance, since he tells the dancers which steps to do. If the dancers do not know the steps, he teaches them. It takes time to learn to be a good caller, and good callers are always in demand（被需要）.
These are the names of some of the steps the dancers do: Form a square; Circle; Honour your partner; Swing your partner; Form a star. There are many more. As the callers tell the dancers what to do next, they move to form the pattern（图形）he calls.
Large or small numbers of people can dance at one time. Sometimes 800 or 1,000 people may be dancing at the same time. Or there may be only one square of eight people.
Special clothes are worn by some when dancing. This makes the dance more colourful to watch. The special clothes are different from place to place. Women often wear full skirts of various colours with a pretty blouse. Men have coloured shirts and western trousers that they wear only when square dancing. In some country areas, everyone wears his best clothes.
Today in some parts of the United States you will find some schools, clubs, or groups square dancing for fun.
1.From the passage we know that square dancing came from_______.
A. the clubs B. the schools
C. big cities D. the countryside
2.How many steps do the dancers usually do while square dancing?
A. At most four. B. At least one thousand.
C. At most eight. D. At least five.
3.For what purpose do the American men and women dance?
A. For money.
B. To lose weight.
C. For fun.
D. To show their beautiful clothes.
4.If 800 people dance at the same time，how many squares can be formed?
A. 200 squares. B.100 squares.
C. 400 squares. D. One big square.
Halloween falls on October 31st, the last day of the Celtic calendar. Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back to over 2000 years ago.
The American tradition of "trick-or-treating" probably dates back to the early All Souls' Day marches in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray（祈祷）for the family's dead relatives.
The act of giving out soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for homeless ghosts. The practice, which was referred to as "going a-souling" was finally taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given sweets, food, and money.
The tradition of dressing in costume（服饰） for Halloween has both European and Celtic roots. Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and frightening time. Food supplies were often not enough because people were afraid of the darkness and would stay at home without doing businesses.
On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would meet with ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for their fellows(同伴).
On Halloween, to keep ghosts away from their houses, people would place bowls of food outside their homes to satisfy the ghosts and prevent them from trying to enter their houses.
1.Halloween is a day_______.
A. respecting the old
B. pleasing the children
C. honoring the dead
D. praying for relatives
2.Which of the following statements is false about Halloween?
A. Halloween has a long history.
B. Children can get a lot of gifts.
C. Americans created the festival.
D. People were afraid of darkness.
3.Ancient people would wear masks on Halloween in order to______.
A. frighten the ghosts B. leave their homes
C. enjoy themselves D. look like ghosts
4.The best title for the passage is___________.
A. Halloween Traditions B. American Traditions
C. Ancient Church Practices D. Halloween Costumes
Mrs. Obama spoke to the graduates of Martin Luther King Jr. High School on Saturday in her only high school commencement（毕业典礼）speech this year. The ceremony took place in the gymnasium of Tennessee State University.
The first lady told the 170 graduates that she spent too much of her time in college focusing on academe achievements. While her success in college and law school led to a good job, she said, she ended up focusing on public service. “My message to you today is that don’t waste a minute living someone else’s dream,” she said. “It takes a lot of real work to discover what brings you joy and you won’t find what you love simply by checking mailboxes or surfing the net.”
She said MLK reminded her of her own high school experience in Chicago. “My No.1 goal was to go to a high school that would push me and challenge me,” she said. “I wanted to go somewhere that would celebrate achievement. Unfortunately, schools like this don’t exist for every kid.” she said. “You are blessed.”
The first lady told graduates that failure may be a part of their college lives and careers, and that how they respond determines what they will become. “That’s when you find out what you’re really made of in those hard times,” she said. “But you can only do that if you’re willing to put yourself in a position where you might fail.” Overcoming difficulties has been the mark of many great people, she said, “Oprah was demoted（降职）from her first job as a news reporter, and now she doesn’t even need a last name,” she said of media giant Oprah Winfrey “And then there’s this guy Barack Obama, I could take up a whole afternoon talking about his failures. He lost his first race for Congress”, the first lady joked, “and now he gets to call himself my husband.”
1.When choosing her high school, Mrs. Obama ________.
A. was willing to meet challenges
B. was pushed to make a choice
C. failed to find an ideal school
D. wanted to study law
2.By mentioning Oprah’s example, Mrs. Obama wanted to tell graduates _______.
A. to start as a news reporter
B. to work hard to get promoted
C. to be brave enough to risk failing
D. not to waste time doing what they dislike
3.What do we know about Mrs. Obama from the text?
A. This was the first time she gave a speech to graduates.
B. She complained about her school life in her speech.
C. She is a graduate of Tennessee State University.
D. She is enthusiastic about public service.
4.Where can you probably find this text?
A. In a politics book.
B. On a news website.
C. In a graduation paper.
D. On Mrs. Obama’s blog.
Jumping across cities
Forget about expensive gyms; the new sport in cities is free-running. Since it started in a Paris suburb around 1995, free-running has attracted lots of fans in cities around the world. Instead of walking normally, free-runners jump over or around anything―cars, buildings, trees, or streetlights―in their way.
One of the sport’s inventors told our reporter how free-running started.
It was boring where we lived. There was nothing for us to do after school. We had done playground games like football and basketball when we were kids but we wanted something new and exciting. We started learning how to jump and run between buildings―and we loved it. Walking is a waste of time. Free-runners have to use their imaginations. Everything―a tree, a streetlight―is part of our outdoor gym. We’re like children because we have never stopped playing in the street.
The sport’s website has lots of rules, for example, don’t break people’s windows, don’t jump on flowerbeds and don’t be rude to people who want you to stop. Safety is also very important. You must start with the easy moves―you have to do thousands of small practice jumps before you try anything difficult. If you made only one mistake, you might hurt yourself badly.
A local person said, “It’s good that young people have something to do. But when they jump off buildings like cats, they sometimes frighten other people.”
Don’t try this at home: the basics of free-running
Blind Jump: a jump where you can’t see the landing spot.
Tic-tac: run and put your foot on a small step, go forward and jump over the next thing.
Basic Jump: run and jump, land on two feet while bending your knees. To finish roll into head-over-heels.
Cat Jump: run towards a wall, put both hands on the top of the wall and jump through your arms.
1.Free-running started __________.
A. about twenty years ago B. with the help of schools
C. in big cities of America D. among famous sportsmen
2.Free-runners shouldn’t ____________.
A. use their imaginations B. start with the easy moves
C. jump on flowerbeds D. run between buildings
3.According to the passage, free-running is a（n）__________sport.
A. ancient B. expensive
C. safe D. exciting
4.The purpose of this passage is to ___________.
A. explain the importance of outdoor activities
B. introduce some information about free-running
C. warn children not to join in dangerous sports
D. advise people to do more exercise at home first
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Once upon a time there lived a poor man named Malcolm who hunted for his food. One warm spring day, Malcolm had been for many hours, and he was hot and tired and hungry. He hadn’t even a mouse. When he came upon a big tree, he sat down under its to rest. Suddenly he found a big ostrich (鸵鸟) egg beside the tree. He the egg and carried it back to his hut (小屋).
The egg was so white and round, pure and beautiful that he couldn’t eating it. So he put the egg on the table and went to sleep.
The next morning when he woke up, he was to find bread and soup on his table. He was so hungry, so he tore off a piece and ate it. “I’ve never anything so delicious,” he said aloud. Then he heard a voice answer, “It’s bread and soup I’ve made for you.”
He turned to find a beautiful woman standing beside the ostrich egg, was cracked wide open. “Malcolm, you are a kind and generous man, and I will make you for the rest of your life. me and I will always make delicious food for you.”
“How can this be? An ostrich egg’s cannot speak or cook or marry me,” he said.
“I will make you happy, Malcolm,” she said, “You must only this: you will never call me the daughter of an ostrich egg.”
“I promise,” Malcolm said.
And so they got married. For many years they lived great happiness. His wife brought him , goats and made him a chief. But one day, Malcolm got so that he was not with what he had. He quarreled with his . He said his wife was the daughter of an ostrich egg… And he was alone again, living in his hut, his old clothes. There were no cattle, no goats and no wife.
He understood that he had been to let greed (贪婪) and anger get the better of him and to break his promise to his wife.
1.A. boating B. fishing C. hunting D. swimming
2.A. caught B. removed C. bitten D. held
3.A. way B. fur C. poster D. shade
4.A. took up B. picked up C. put up D. added up
5.A. wait B. help C. imagine D. expect
6.A. exciting B. secure C. amazed D. lively
7.A. smelt B. looked C. sounded D. tasted
8.A. which B. whose C. who D. that
9.A. intelligent B. happy C. attractive D. popular
10.A. Follow B. Accept C. Admit D. Marry
11.A. sister B. daughter C. mother D. son
12.A. doubt B. respond C. select D. promise
13.A. in B. at C. under D. beyond
14.A. sheep B. pigs C. cattle D. chicken
15.A. puzzled B. greedy C. magical D. upset
16.A. satisfied B. surprised C. popular D. certain
17.A. daughter B. mother C. wife D. grandfather
18.A. in peace B. in a flash C. in danger D. in a way
19.A. wearing B. having C. preparing D. replacing
20.A. informal B. artificial C. severe D. mistaken
After the long journey, the three of them went back home, _________.
A. hungry and tiredly B. hungrily and tiredly
C. hungry and tired D. hungrily and tired
