China is the home of chopsticks. The Chinese began to use them in the Shang dynasty. In the third centry
A.D., chopsticks were introduced to Japan and ended its practice of taking food directly by hand. It was not
until the 15th century A.D. that the knife and fork appeared on the dinner tables in Europe.
     Nowadays the Japanese seem to love chopsticks more deeply than the Chinese. They gave a Chopsticks
Festival that falls on 4th August each year. In their opinion, using chopsticks is good for people's health. They
believe that using chopsticks leads to a clever mind and deft (靈巧的) hands.
     Chopsticks are used now all over the world. They are made not only of bamboo but also of wood, and even
ivory (象牙).

1. Chinese people began to use chopsticks _______.

A. before the 3rd century A.D.
B. after the 3rd century A.D.
C. in the 3rd century A.D.
D. in the 15th century A.D.

2. Before chopsticks were introduced to Japan, the Japanese took food _______.

A. with knife and fork
B. by hand
C. with their own chopsticks
D. with something unknown

3. The Japanese love chopsticks because _______.

A. they can use them to take food
B. they have a Chopsticks Festival
C. they learned how to use them from the Chinese
D. they believe using chopsticks can make them bealthy and clever

4. Why are chopsticks used all over the world?

A. Because they can be made of many kinds of materials.
B. Because they may be very easy and useful to take food.
C. Because Chinese first began to use them.
D. Because the Japanese love to use them.

5. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A. The Chinese Invention
B. Chopsticks
C. Chopsticks Are Welcomed All Over the World
D. All Kinds of Chopsticks

      You can see lots of kangaroos (袋鼠) in Australia, and not only in zoos but also outside the cities and towns.
You can see them everywhere. Kangaroos are very popular in Australia. They have very strong legs, so they are
very good at jumping. Their tails (尾巴) are very strong, too, so when they want to have a rest, they rest on
their tails. Kangaroos are also good at looking after their babies. Mother kangaroos keep their babies safe in their
pockets.

1. There are many kangaroos _____.

A. from Australia
B. in America
C. in Australia
D. from America

2. Where can we see kangaroos in Australia?

A. in cities.
B. in towns.
C. in parks.
D. everywhere.

3. Why are kangaroos very good at jumping?

A. because they are very healthy.
B. because they have strong tails.
C. because they have strong legs.
D. because they have big pockets.

4. How do kangaroos rest when they want to rest?

A. on their legs.
B. on their hands.
C. on their tails.
D. on their back.

5. What are kangaroos good at doing?

A. they are good at looking after their babies.
B. they are good at jumping.
C. they are good at resting on their tails.
D. A, B and C.

    Basketball stars have become hip-hop singers (街舞歌手). It's true. In the NBA, hip-hop music is very
popular. Many of the players, like Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers, write rap rhymes (有節(jié)奏
感的唱歌) when they travel on planes from one city to another. 
    When they play basketball, some of the younger stars even try to look like hip-hop singers. "Hip-hop is
just part of our culture." says one player. "All of us grew up listening to rap and playing basketball, and
rappers grew up doing the same thing."
    Master P is a famous rap star who wants to become a basketball player. Two NBA teams, have invited
him to join them. They enjoy listening to his music. An NBA player has become a rapper. He has made four
successful rap albums (集).
    The NBA has a closer connection (親密的聯(lián)系) to hip-hop than any other sports league.

1. Many basketball players in NBA like ________.
2. Many NBA players ________ rap rhymes when they travel on planes.
3. ________ is just part of the NBA players' culture.
4. Master P is invited to join the NBA teams just because ________.
5. Some rapper hip-hop singers have become ________.

     There are differences between western culture and Chinese culture. We can see differences when we pay
attention to the way words are used. Let's look at the words about animals and plants. Most expressions in
Chinese is about the dog, for example, "a homeless dog", "a mad dog", "a running dog" and "a dog catching a
mouse", have negative (消極) meanings. But in western countries, dogs are thought to be honest and good
friends of humans. In English, people use the dog to describe positive (積極的) actions. For example, "you are
a lucky dog" means you are a lucky person. And "every dog has its day" means each person has good luck
sometimes. To describe a person's serious illness, they say "sick as a dog". The word"dog-tired" means very
tired. However, Chinese love cats very much. But in western culture,"cat" is often used to describe a woman
who is cruel (冷酷的). There are many other examples of how "cat" is used differently as well.
     The rose is regarded as a symbol of love in both China and some western countries. People think the rose
stands for love, peace, courage and friendship. And the rose is the national flower of England, America and
many other countries.
     The words about plants and animals are used in positive or negative ways in different cultures. We can
learn about many differences in cultures by comparing how some words are used.

1. The word "dog" in Chinese usually ______.

A. stands for friendship
B. has a negative meaning
C. has a positive meaning

2. "Every dog has its day." means "______".

A. Everybody in the world is lucky.
B. Each person lives his own way of life.
C. Everybody has a time in life to be lucky.

3. Western people usually use "cat" to refer to "______".

A. a tired person
B. a brave man
C. an unkind woman

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Words show differences in cultures.
B. Western people think cats to be good friends.
C. Rose is the national flower of all western countries.

5. This passage mainly tells us ______.

A. negative or positive things
B. different countries have different cultures
C. what dog and cat mean in English and Chinese

     Everyone knows the smart black-and-white dog that sits on top of a red doghouse with his best friend
-- a bird called Woodstock.
    This year Snoopy turns sixty. Created by the American cartoonist Charles Schulz in 1950, the clever dog
is loved by kids and adults. He speaks more than 20 languages and appears daily in 26,000 newspapers around
the world. When Snoopy first appeared, he was just like other pet dogs. But two years later, he had begun
to speak with simple words and sounds.
     By 1957 he could walk on two legs and was going to school with his master, Charlie Brown, who failed
at just about everything.
     Snoopy has done lots of jobs. He has been a bow-tie wearing lawyer, a tennis player and Olympic figure
skater, a world famous grocery cashier, a pilot and even the first astronaut on the moon.
     However, Snoopy has always dreamed of being a famous writer. The beginning of his story is always, "It
was a dark and stormy night…" Unluckily for him no one has ever wanted to publish (出版) the story.
     Snoopy easily falls in love but always has his heart broken. He eats to forget, but it never works.
     Snoopy is an insightful, feel-good and sometimes sad dog. If you think a little about his words, you might
find them full of life lessons. Among his most famous lines are "To live is to dance, to dance is to live." and
"Yesterday I was a dog. Today I'm a dog. Tomorrow I'll probably still be a dog."

1. How many cartoon characters are mentioned in the passage?

A. Two.
B. Three.
C. Four.
D. Five.

2. How can we know Snoopy is popular around the world?

A. He appears daily in 26,000 newspapers.
B. He's just like a human.
C. He has done all kinds of jobs.
D. He's unlucky in life.

3. From the passage we can learn that _________.

A. Snoopy has a successful master
B. Snoopy is a lucky dog in love
C. Snoopy is a success as a writer
D. Snoopy can teach us life lessons

     In 1826, a Frenchman named Niepce needed pictures for his business. But he was not a good artist, so
he invented a very simple camera. He put it in a window of his house and took a picture of his garden. That
was the first photo.
     The next important date in the history of photography (攝影) was in 1837. That year, Daguerre, another
Frenchman, took a picture of his reading room. He used a new kind of camera in a different way. In his picture
you could see everything very clearly, even the smallest thing. This kind of photo was called Daguerreotype.
     Soon, other people began to use Daguerre's way. Travelers brought back wonderful photos from all around
the world. People took pictures of famous buildings, cities and mountains.
     In about 1840, photography was developed. Then photographers could take pictures of people and moving
things. That was not simple. The photographers had to carry a lot of film and other machines. But this did not
stop them, for example, some in the United States worked so hard. Mathew Brady was a famous American
photographer. He took many pictures of great people. The pictures were unusual because they were very lifelike
(栩栩如生的).
     Photography also became a kind of art by the end of the 19th century. Some photos were not just copies
of the real world. They showed ideas and feelings, like other art forms.

Answer the following questions according to what you read.
1. Who took the first photo?
    ____________________________________________________________________________
2. The Daguerreotype was a kind of photo, wasn't it? 
    ____________________________________________________________________________
3. If a photographer wanted to take pictures of moving things in 1840, what did he have to do? 
    ____________________________________________________________________________
4. Why was Mathew Brady famous? 
    ____________________________________________________________________________
5. When did photography become a kind of art? 
    ____________________________________________________________________________