Who are the pop stars singing all day long on your MP3 player? They may be Jay Chou, Angela Chang or
S. H. E. But when it comes to a foreign singer, Avril Lavigne is the one who is worth listening to.
     The Canadian star's hit single Girlfriend was named the top download of 2007 by the Intemational
Federation of the Phonographic Industry (國際唱片業(yè)協(xié)會). She came to China last year for her "The Best
Damn Tour" concerts.
     The pop / rock princess (公主) played at Cuangzhou first on September 27, followed by other cities
including Chengdu (September 30), Shanghai (October 4) and Beijing (October 6). Lavigne performed her
most popular hits in the concerts, inclu- ding Complicated, Girlfriend, and My Happy Ending. Lavigne has
been on the music scene for six years. She has proven that she is not simply another pretty face.
     Lavigne prefers to wear loose (寬松的) trousers, old T-shirts and a frown (皺眉). That's not like the tight
clothes and sweet smiles of many pop stars.
     Lavigne knew that she could never be like Britney Spears. In her high school days, "I was only around
guys," she said. "I hung out with guys, playing hockey (曲棍球) and sometimes getting in fights. My band
members were all guys."
    It was not until she got older that she started acting more girly. "From then to now, I look really different-but
that' s called growing up," she said.
     Lavigne was only 15 when she was discovered. At that time she had no idea how to make an album. "A
career (職業(yè)) just came early for me. I was trying to figure out this life," she said. "My friends still don't know
if they want to be a teacher or a doctor. When I talk to them, they'll tell me they have exams the next day."
     So what does Lavigne think about life?" Life is like a roller coaster (過山車). Live it, be happy," she said.

1. Where is Avril Lavigne from? 
    _________________________________________________
2. Has she ever been to China? 
    _________________________________________________
3. Was she like a boy or a girl when she was in high school? 
    _________________________________________________
4. How old was she when she began to be famous? 
   _________________________________________________
5. What' s the difference between her life and her friends'? 
   _________________________________________________

     The world's first subway was built in London in 1863. At the time, the government was looking for a way
to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that
it was almost impossible for horse carriages (the taxis of those days) to get around. The city officials were
interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day.
If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to get to and from work, they would move
their homes outside of the city. This would help solve the problem of too many people living in the poor parts
of London. From these problems, the idea of the London Underground, the first subway system, was born.
     The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays, but the first track was opened
in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the first underground track which was six kilometers (3.7
miles) long. About 30 000 people got on the subway the first day. Riders were treated to comfortable seats
(standing up while the train was moving was not allowed) and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars.
However, the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot, as well as chemical
gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its
problems, riding the Underground did become popular. It carried nine million riders in its first year.
     Modem subways have come a long way since the early days of the London Underground. Today there are
94 large underground rapid transit systems around the world. The busiest of these subway systems is the
Tokyo Metro which opened in 1927. This efficient subway has two billion riders per year, and "pushers" work
on the platforms (站臺) during busy traffic hours to help push riders onto trains. At times, subway cars have
been packed with up to 300 people! Shopping malls built in high traffic stations where riders move from one
train to another have also helped the popularity of subways in Tokyo. Many stations include underground
department stores, supermarkets, restaurants, and specialty shops. Shoppers never have to go above ground!

1. What problems led the British govemment to build the London Underground?

A. Pollution and overcrowding.
B. Traffic jams and pollution.
C. Overcrowding and traffic jams.
D. The subway problems.

2. The last paragraph is mainly about _____. 

A. the London Underground today
B. the Tokyo subway
C. subways around the world
D. problems with subways

3. What is probably the best title for this passage?

A. The Subway Nowadays
B. The Popularity of the Subway
C. The First Subway
D. Subway Then and Now

    
     You either have it, or you don't-a sense of direction, that is. But why is it that some people could find
their way across the Sahara without a map, while others can lose themselves in the next street?
     Scientists say we're all born with a sense of direction, but it is not properly understood how it works. One
theory is that people with a good sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it. Research being
carried out at Liverpool University supports this idea and suggests that if we don't use it, we lose it.
     "Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around," says Jim Martland, Research
Director of the project. "However, if they are not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car, they never
develop the skills." Jim Martland also says that young people should be taught certain skills to improve their
sense of direction. He makes the following suggestions: .
     ●If you are using a map, tum it so it connects with the way you are facing.
     ●If you leave your bike in a strange place, put it near something like a big stone or a tree. Note landmarks
on the route as you go away from your bike. When you retum, go back along the same route.
     ●Simplify the way of finding your direction by using lines such as streets in a town, streams, or walls
in the countryside to guide you. Count your steps so that you know how far you have gone and note any
landmarks to help you. Now you need never get lost again!

1. Could some people find their way across the Sahara without a map?
    _______________________________________________________
2. When do we get a sense of direction according to the passage? 
    _______________________________________________________
3. Why don't some people have the sense of direction? 
    _______________________________________________________
4. What does the underlined word "landmarks" mean in English?
    _______________________________________________________
5. What does the passage mainly talk about? 
    _______________________________________________________

     Children all over the world like to celebrate their birthdays. American children are of no difference. 1_____
They invite their friends to join the celebration. The party may not be held on the exact date of their birthday if
it falls on a school day. It may be held on the closest weekend instead.
     Today two kinds of parties are most popular. One is held at home. Parents make the house beautiful with
balloons and colored paper. They cook for children. The children play games. Another kind is held away from
home. 2_____ The children eat pizza and ice cream. The waiters, who serve the food, also sing and tell jokes
to the children. Other parties may be held at a park, or a movie theater, or some other places. 
     3_____ There is one candle for each year of a birthday boy or girl's age. When the candles are lighted,
everyone sings the special birthday song: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.
     As Americans grow older, their birthday parties change. 4_____ They say they would like to forget how old
they are. Yet they do like to remember the happy birthday parties of their childhood.

A. In fact, many people stop having them.
B. Some people are at a special restaurant.
C. American children usually celebrate it with a party.
D. They say, "Happy birthday to you."

     If you stay in an Indian home, bring something from your home country as a gift. Although it is not
expected, it would be much pleasant. But find out the social position and religion of your hosts before
you choose the gift. A bottle of foreign whisky would be the perfect gift for some, but not at all suitable
for others. If you know the people you are going to stay with, it is a good idea to ask them what they
would like. Some things are just not available in India.
     It is not necessary to bring a gift when you are invited to dinner. After all, you are the honored guest.
Several years ago, it was almost unpleasant to bring sweets or a bottle of wine. But this is not true today.
Nowadays it is a custom which is becoming popular with many Indians. Fruit, flowers or a box of sweets
are perfect gifts, and will make no one unhappy.
     In all classes of society, both in the city and in the country, food is only taken to the mouth with the
right hand. This is the most important part of the etiquette (禮節(jié)) of eating in India. When you watch
Indians eat something, you will see that they keep their left hands on their legs.
     If you want to find a conversation topic in India, talk about families. Another useful subject to start with
is cricket (板球). But once you get to know a person better, any topic is acceptable. Indians love to talk
about politics and religion. They enjoy heated discussions. Conversation is an art form and people take the
time to really talk.

1. If you are invited for a meal at an Indian home, _______.

A. you should offer to pay for the food
B. you will hurt your hosts if you take anything
C. it is fashionable to take flowers or sweets
D. it is traditional to take whisky

2. Indians love interesting topics and they _______.

A. only talk about family matters
B. prefer to'have heated discussions
C. don't like talking about themselves
D. get away from religion and politics

3. The underlined part in the first paragraph means _______.

A. you can buy these things easily in India
B. they don't make these things in India
C. they never avoid these things in India
D. you can't get these things in India

4. According to the passage, all of the following are true except that _______.

A. your choice of gift will depend on who your hosts are
B. playing cricket with left hand is popular in India
C. Indians normally use their right hands for food they eat
D. Indians like to talk about serious things with guests

     When I asked my daughter which item she would keep: the phone, the car, the cooker, the computer,
the TV or her boyfriend, she said "the phone". Personally, I could do without the phone entirely, which
makes me unusual, because the telephone is changing our lives more than any other piece of technology.
      Point l. The telephone creates the need to communicate, in the same way that more roads create more
traffic. My daughter comes home from school at 4:00 pm and then spends an hour on the phone talking to
the very people she has been at school with all day. If the phone did not exist (存在), would she have
anything to talk about?   
      Point 2. The mobile phone means that we are never alone. "The mobile saved my life," says Crystal
Johnstone. She had an accident in her Volvo on the A45 between Otley and Skipton. Trapped inside, she
managed to make the call that brought the ambulance (救護車) to her rescue.
      Point 3. The mobile removes our secrets. It allows marketing manager of Haba Deutsch, Carl Nicolaisen,
to ring his sales staff all round the world at any time of day to ask where they are, where they are going,
and how their last meeting went.
     Point 4. The telephone separates us. Antonella Bramante in Rome says, "We worked in separate offices
but I could see him through the window. It was easy to get his number. We were so near, but we didn't meet
for the first two weeks!"
     Point 5. The telephone allows us to reach out beyond our own lives. Today we can talk to several complete
strangers at the same time on chat lines (at least my daughter does. I wouldn't know what to talk about). We
can talk across the world. We can even talk to astronauts while they're space-walking. And, with the phone
line connected with the computer, we can aceess (進入) the Intemet, the biggest library on Earth.

1. How do you understand Point l- "The telephone creates the need to communicate"?

A. People don't communicate without telephone.
B. People communicate because of the creating of the telephone.
C. People communicate more since telephone has been created.
D. People communicate more because of more traffic.

2. Which of the following best shows people's attitude towards mobile phones?

A. Mobile phones can help to save people's lives.
B. Mobile phones are so important and should be encouraged.
C. Mobile phones bring convenience (便利) as well as few secrets to people.
D. Mobile phones can be used to talk to astronauts while they're space-walking.

3. Which points do you think support the idea that phones improve people's life'?

A. Point 3 and Point 4.
B. Point 4 and Point 5.
C. Point l and Point 3.
D. Point 2 and Point 5.

4. The best title for the passage would be _______.

A. Influence of Phones
B. Kinds of Phones
C. How to Use Phones
D. Advantage of Phones