In the 1760s, a scientist in England invented a way to put steam engines and wheels (1) t_______. Soon,
people had a new type of (2) t_______, the steam locomotive. An English (3) e_______ drove the first steam
locomotive on a road, but it exploded. In 1804, a locomotive (4) c_______ about seventy passengers a short
(5) d_______ on some iron rails. It was the first railway. In the 1830s, countries all over the world started to
build railways. (6) A_______ fifty years, railways covered most countries. Many train stations were built to
make it (7) e_______ for passengers to get on and off the trains. Early trains had a top (8) s_______ of 50
kilometers per hour. (9) T_______ trains are much faster. They (10) t_______ at about 240 kilometers an hour.
The fastest trains can go 380 kilometers an hour.

      We use the Internet every day, but do you know the history of the Internet?
      Many people were surprised when they found that the Internet was set up in the 1960s. At that time,
computers were large and expensive. Computers didn't work well. If one computer in network Broken down,
then the whole network stopped. So a new network system had to be set up. It should be good enough to be
used by many different computers. If one part of the network was not working information could be send
through another part. In this way the computer network system would keep on working all the time.
    At first, the Internet was only used by the government, but in the early 1970s universities, hospitals and
banks were allowed to use it, too. However, computers were still very expensive and the Internet was
difficult to use. By the start of the 1990s, computers became cheaper and easier to use. Scientists had also
developed software (軟件) that made "surfing the Internet" more convenient. 
    Now it is easy to get online and it is said that millions of people use the Internet every day. Computers
are becoming much cheaper and smaller. The invention of the laptop makes people be able to use computers
everywhere. Sending e-mail is more and more popular among students and other young people. The Internet
has now become a very important part of people's life.

(     )1. The Internet was set up about more than sixty years ago.                       
(     )2. In computers were expensive and not convenient enough to use at the beginning. 
(     )3. In the early 1970s only the government used the network.                       
(     )4. Sending e-mail is more and more popular among old people.                      
(     )5. Now the Internet is connected with people's life.                              

     The Chinese New Year is the most important holiday for the Chinese people. For the Chinese, the New
Year comes with the first day of the First Moon between January 21 and February 19. People prepare for the
holiday for fifteen days.
     Finally, at midnight it is New Year's Day or the first day of the First Moon. Chun Jie. People close the
shops and the streets are empty. Everyone locks the doors and stays at home.
     It is an important time for the family. The younger people bow to the older people. The Chinese call this
Kou Tou or kowtow. This means "to touch the ground with the forehead". Then the young people wish the
older people a happy New Year. The older people give children gifts or money in red envelops. The family
then goes to sleep.
     In the morning people dress in their best clothes. Some people stay at home, others to out to play a New
Year call. They're very polite and don't use bad words. It's the most important day of the year.

1. The most important holiday for the Chinese is ______.

A. Mid-autumn
B. National Day
C. the Chinese New Year
D. Christmas Day

2. For the Chinese, New Year comes ______.

A. on the first day of a year
B. on the last day of a year
C. between January 21 and February 19
D. on January 24th

3. On New Year's Eve, people usually ______.

A. go to the shops
B. close the shops
C. stay at home
D. Both B and C

4. The younger people bow to the older people to ______.

A. say goodbye
B. show respect (尊敬)
C. ask for money
D. apologize (道歉)

5. Which of the following is NOT right according to the passage?

A. People prepare for the holiday for fifteen days.
B. The Chinese New Year is an important time for the family.
C. People dress is their best clothes on New Year's Day.
D. It's polite to use bad words on New Year's Day.

     This blue curly hair looks like the waves of the sea. I   1   smile is a sign of the healthy spirit of China.
Those thumbs-up (翹拇指) will w  2   millions of people to Shanghai from around the world.
      It's Haibao, the mascot of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. "It's very c   3   ," said Gu Hui, a school kid.
"I want a big toy l   4   the mascot."
     Haibao looks like the Chinese character "人", which m   5   people or a human being. The name comes
f   6   the Chinese phrase "Si Hai Zhi Bao"----the treasure of the four seas. It also means the treasure of
Shanghai, which l   7   beside the sea.
    Haibao was designed by two a   8   , one from the mainland and the other from Taiwan. The design is about
people living together in the c  9  . The designers want it to fit in with the theme of the Shanghai Exposition
"Better City, B   10   Life."

     People live around the world. They like to have celebrations. In China, people celebrate New Year. It
usually comes in January or February. People wear red clothes because they think red color will bring
happiness (幸福). Chinese children also get money from their parents or grandparents for the New Year. In
Gambia (岡比亞), people celebrate Independence Day (獨(dú)立日). It is in February. They wear bright clothes
and play music at the celebration. In England, people celebrate May Day. May Day is in May. They wear
beautiful clothes to celebrate the coming spring. The children like to dance on this day. In America, people
celebrate Thanksgiving Day. It is in November. They have a very big dinner with their families or friends. They
eat turkey and a lot of other delicious food. They have a long talk after the dinner.

根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容,完成下列表格,每空一詞.
Countries Celebrations 1.____ Clothes
China Spring Festival January or February 2.____ clothes
Gambia Independence Day 3._____ bright clothes
England 4.______ Day May pretty clothes
5._______ Thanksgiving Day November

     Fast food chains (連鎖), American-style, are now on the increase all over the world. Most of these places
work on a similar principle. There is a long counter (柜臺(tái)), above which hangs a list (often with pictures) of
the items they sell, and behind which several people (often students working for the lowest wage) are working. Buyers form queues in front of each assistant. You receive what you order and take it on a tray to a table. If
you can't see any knives and forks, this means you are supposed to eat with your hands. If you can't see any
straws (吸管), that's because they are hiding in the straw machine that you have to push the bottom to get a
straw. When you've finished, you yourself throw away everything except the tray.
     Many fast-food places have drive-in facilities (設(shè)施). You place your order from your car through a
microphone and then drive round to a special window to pay and pick it up. You may even find places where
a waitress bring your meal out, and you sit and eat it in the car from a tray hooked over the door through the
open window.

1. What is the wage about the waiters or waitress working in the fast food shops?

A. We don't know.
B. Very high.
C. Very low.
D. Normal.

2. When you go to these fast food shops, how can you eat?

A. Using knives and forks.
B. The waiter will give you the menu.
C. You will have to carry the food on the tray to the table.
D. Sitting at the table and waiting for the food.

3. According to the passage, these fast food shops are usually quite ______.

A. similar
B. different
C. very popular
D. not expensive

4. What is a tray?

A. Something you can eat.
B. Something you can drink.
C. Something you throw away.
D. Something used for carrying things.

5. If you are driving your car, how can you have your fast food?

A. Stopping the car and going to the restaurant.
B. Having it at home.
C. Having it in the office.
D. Having it at fast-food places with drive-in facilities.

     Have you ever been to Ireland? If not, you should think of spending a vacation there. The Republic of
Ireland stands in the south of the island. There are about 3,470,000 people in the country and the weather is
 quite wet but warm. The temperature is neither too high nor too low. Fails of snow in Ireland are most
unusual. Whenever you go there, you can hardly see them. Ireland is full of interesting things to do. You'll find
restaurants and cafés everywhere. Most of them have a long list of Irish food and drinks. Especially, after your meal, you can take a walk along the shore. The countryside is good for horse riding. Other sports you may
want to do are sailing, boating, swimming, fishing and golfing.
      Ireland is famous for its theaters and festivals. So why don't you stay longer for a party, an opera or a
concert? The Irish people are kind and friendly. From mountains to beaches you will find people ready to stop
and talk about the weather, the local geography or history.
     The Irish people have kept their own culture of music and literature (文學(xué)) well. Different areas have
different kinds of music. In towns and villages people get together in the evening to sing and play music. They
also get together to read their own poems to each other. Meeting such people is really fun, isn't it?

(     )1. It rains and snows a lot in Ireland.
(     ) 2. Irish food and drinks are not easy to find in the countryside.
(     )3. There are many sports to do on the water in Ireland.
(     )4. The Irish people seldom talk about their history and literature.
(     )5. The Irish people are good at music and poems.