The first newspapers were written by hand and put up on walls in public place. The earliest daily newspaper was started in Rome in 59 BC. In the 700’s the world’s first printed newspaper was published. Europe didn’t have a regularly published newspaper until 1609, when one was started in Germany.
The first regularly published newspaper in the English language was printed in Amsterdam in 1620. In 1621, an English newspaper was started in London and was published once a week. The first daily English newspaper was the Daily Courant (每日新聞). It came out in March 1702.
In 1690, Benjamin Harris printed the first American newspaper in Boston. But not long after it was first published, the government stopped the paper. In 1704, John Campbell started The Boston Newsletter (波斯頓新聞通訊), the first newspaper published in the American colonies. By 1760, the colonies had more than thirty daily newspapers. There are now about 1,800 daily papers in the United States.
Today, as a group, English language newspapers have the largest circulation (發(fā)行量) in the world. But the largest circulation for a newspaper is that of the Japanese newspaper Asahi Dhimbun (朝日新聞). It sells more than eleven million copies every day.
小題1:The first daily newspaper came out in _____.

A．59 BC

B．700’s

C．1609

D．1620

小題2:The first regular published newspaper in Europe was printed in _____.

A．England

B．Sweden

C．France

D．Germany

小題3:The first printed newspaper in America came out in _____.

A．Washington

B．Boston

C．New York

D．New Orleans

小題4:Today there are about _____ daily newspaper printed in the United States.

A．1621

B．1704

C．1760

D．1800

YOUR mom might cook a bowl of noodles for you on your birthday. But in the US, a mom makes a cupcake for her children on their birthday.
Cupcakes are small, round cakes topped with frosting (糖霜). It has been an American tradition that moms bring cupcakes to the classroom to celebrate their child’s birthday.
But recently some doctors have called for this to be banned. They believe cupcakes contribute to child obesity.
Despite their good intentions, however, some people believe that experts are interfering (妨礙) with American culture. The cupcake is seen as American as apple pie — only prettier.
According to Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, the cupcake is the most democratic (民主的) of desserts. As they are small enough for one person, you don’t have to share your cupcake with anyone — it’s all yours. They are also all the same size, so there can’t be any cries of “she got the bigger piece!”
Each bite can taste different depending on how much icing you have. It is a lesson in self- determination. Some people eat only a little of the frosting every time, others have it all in just one bite.
In recent years, eating a cupcake has become as trendy as having a cup of Starbucks coffee.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton jokingly promised on a talk show that if she was elected president, she would give everyone a cupcake on her birthday.
Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine, explains that the rise of the cupcake is very much about going back to American national identity in food, which is all about comfort. “People want to think about when they and their country were innocent,” she said.
小題1:According to the passage, it has been an American tradition that ___________.

A．the family holds a party for children on their birthday

B．a mom cooks a bowl of noodles for her children on their birthday

C．a mom makes a cupcake for her children on their birthday and brings it to the classroom

D．parents go travelling with their children on their birthday

小題2:Why do doctors ask people to ban cupcakes on children’s birthday?

A．Because they themselves don’t like cupcakes.

B．Because they think cupcakes are not so delicious.

C．Because they believe cupcakes will cause cries of “She got the bigger piece”.

D．Because they believe cupcakes are one of the causes to make children become fat.

小題3:What cannot be inferred according to Marion Nestle?

A．The cupcake is more democratic than any other desserts in the US.

B．The cupcake is too small to share with others.

C．The sizes of cupcakes are the same so it’s equal to everyone.

D．Cupcakes will lead to child obesity so they should be banned.

小題4:The underlined word “trendy” in paragraph 7 probably means ________.

A．popular

B．gentle

C．delicious

D．different

小題5:Why did the writer mention Hillary Clinton and Ruth Reichl?

A．To arouse the readers’ attention to banning the tradition of making cupcakes.

B．To show that cupcakes are becoming a popular way to show kindness and comfort.

C．To make a comparison between them in order for readers to remember them.

D．To give readers some idea of cupcakes so as to better understand the American culture

People in the United States honor their parents with two special days: Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June.
Mother’s Day was proclaimed a day for national observance by President Woodrow Wilson in 1915. Ann Jarvis from Grafton, West Virginia, had started the idea to have a day to honor mothers. She was the one who chose the second Sunday in May and also began the custom of wearing a carnation.
In 1909, Mrs. Dodd from Spokane, Washington, thought of the idea of a day to honor fathers. She wanted to honor her own father, William Smart. After her mother died, he had the responsibility of raising a family of five sons and a daughter. In 1910, the first Father’s Day was observed in Spokane. Senator Margaret Chase Smith helped to establish Father’s Day as a national commemorative day in 1972.
These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead．Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery. On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
小題1:According to the passage, which of the following about the second Sunday in May is
NOT true?

A．It is a day to show love to mothers

B．It is a day to wear carnations

C．It is a day for people to visit the cemetery

D．It is a day for many people to attend religious services

小題2:Choose the right time order of the following events.
a. The first Father’s Day was observed.
b. Mother’s Day was proclaimed a day for national observance
c. Father’s Day became a day for national observance. 
d. The idea of honoring fathers was brought up

A．a b c d

B．d a b c

C．b a c d

D．d a c b

小題3:Who plays the most important role in Father’s Day becoming a national commemorative day?

A．Mrs. Do

B．Margaret Chase Smith

C．Ann Jarvis

D．Woodrow Wilson

小題4:From the passage, we know in the U.S. ________________.

A．one should wear a red carnation if one’s mother pass away

B．on Mother’s Day, families often go out to have barbecues

C．on Father’s Day, people often stay at home to celebrate the special day.

D．The purpose to have these two special days is to show love to parents

小題5:The author’s purpose of writing this passage is to __________

A．call on people to love and respect their parents

B．introduce Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

C．tell the difference between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day

D．show how important fathers and mothers are

Popular breakfast foods in the United States, as in many other countries around the world, include coffee, milk , juice, eggs, and bread. Some other breakfast items served in the United States are thought by many to be traditionally American. However, they actually come from other cultures.
A very popular breakfast food in America is the pancake--- a thin , flat cake made out of flour and often served with maple syrup. The idea of the pancake is very old. In fact, pancakes were made long ago in ancient China.
Bagels, a round thick bread with a hole in the middle , are also popular for breakfast in America. Polish people in the late 1600s came up with the idea for the first bagels and this new kind of bread soon took off across Eastern Europe.
In the late 1800s, thousands of Jews from Eastern Europe travelled to the United States and brought the recipe for bagels with them. Today, New York bagels are said to be the best in the world. Many people have them with cream for breakfast on the go.
Doughnuts (usually spelled “donut” in the United States) came from France. They were served to American soldiers in France in the World War Ⅰ. After the war, American soldiers asked cooks in the United States to make doughnuts for them. Now , served with coffee, they are a very popular breakfast food across the United States.
小題1:This reading is mainly about ________

A．famous places to eat breakfast.

B．why people in the United States eat breakfast

C．the most popular types of pancakes in the United States

D．the history of popular breakfast foods in the United States.

小題2:The oldest breakfast food in the passage is ______

A．the pancake

B．the bagel

C．the doughnut

D．The passage doesn’t say.

小題3:Which sentence is true for both bagels and donuts?

A．They both came from Europe	B．They are both easy to make
C．They are both sweet	D．people in New York make them best

小題4:Who brought bagels to America?

A．Polish people

B．Jewish People

C．Chinese People

D．American soldiers

小題5:Who served donuts to American soldiers during World War Ⅰ?

A．French people	B．Jewish people
C．other American soldiers	D．cooks from the United States.

The first Starbucks coffee shop opened in 1971 in downtown Seattle, Washington, in the United States. It was a small coffee shop that roasted its own coffee beans. The coffee shop’s business did well, and by 1981 there were three more Starbucks stores in Seattle.
Things really began to change for the company in 1981. That year, Howard Schultz met the three men who ran Starbucks. Schultz worked in New York for a company that made kitchen equipment. He noticed that Starbucks ordered a large number of special coffee makers, and he was curious about the company. Schultz went to Seattle to see what Starbucks did , and he liked what he saw. He wanted to become part of the company. In 1982, the original Starbucks owners hired Schultz as the company’s head of marketing.
In 1983, Schultz traveled to Italy. The unique atmosphere of the espresso(濃咖啡) bars there caught his eye. To Schultz it seemed that Italians spent their daily lives in three places: home, work , and coffee bars . His experience in Italy gave Schultz a new idea for Starbucks back in Seattle.
Schultz created an atmosphere for Starbucks coffee shops that was comfortable and casual, and customers everywhere seemed to like it. Between 1987 and 1992, Starbucks opened 150 new stores---and that was only the beginning. As a matter of fact, by the year 2000, three new Starbucks stores opened somewhere around the world every day!
Today, Starbucks has thousands of stores, including stores in twenty-six countries. One thing that helps make Starbucks succeed in cities outside the United Stateds is the way Starbucks works with local stores and restaurants. By working together with a store already in the city, Starbucks gains an understanding of customers in the city.  This understanding helps Starbucks open stores in the right locations for their customers.
小題1:What is the main topic of the reading?

A．how Starbucks has grown	B．Starbucks’ customers
C．what Starbucks makes	D．how Starbucks makes its coffee

小題2:Which is true about Starbucks’ first ten years of business?

A．It grew very quickly	B．It was run by Howard Schultz
C．It was a small company	D．It made special coffee makers

小題3:Who is Howard Schultz?

A．a coffee seller from New York	B．the man who changed the company
C．an Italian coffee maker	D．one of the original owners of the company

小題4:About how many new Starbucks opened in 1999?

A．3

B．150

C．300

D．more than 1000

小題5:What helps Starbucks succeed in places outside the United States?

A．opening restaurants in just a few locations each year.

B．only selling locally produced coffee beans

C．working with other major coffee-making companies

D．learning about local customers.

Every culture in the world has marriage and wedding ceremonies . Usually marriages are between one woman(the bride) and one man ( the groom). However, in other parts of the world a man may have several wives, or, as in some areas of India, a wife may have more than one husband..
There are also many different kinds of wedding ceremonies practiced around the world. These ceremonies can be very short and simple, or very long and complicated.
One of the largest and most expensive wedding ceremonies in recent times was held in Dubai in 1981. The couple tying the knot at this wedding were the son of Sheik ( a male Arab ruler) Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Princess Salama. The wedding ceremony took seven days and cost $44 million. It was held in a large building which was specially built for the ceremony and looked like a stadium. The bride and groom needed a large place for their wedding because more than 20,000 guests were invited.
The reasons why a man and woman get married also vary. Sometimes they marry because they are in love, sometimes they marry because someone they meet through a matchmaker, and sometimes they marry because their parents tell them that they must marry.
One unusual example of an arranged marrige took place in Bangladesh in 1986.  The groom was an eleven-month-old boy and the bride was a three-month-old girl. They were the youngest married couple ever.
The parents of the bride and groom arranged the marriage as a way of ending a fight between the two families who had been arguing over a farm for twenty years. Both families thought they owned the farm, but no one knew exactly . The fight ended for good when the young boy married the young girl. By arranging this marriage, neither famlily was forced to lose face. The two families agreed to give the farm to the young people.
小題1:What is the best title for this passage?

A．An Unusual Wedding Tradition	B．A Short History of Marriage
C．Common Western Wedding Trations.	D．Interesting Wedding Around the World

小題2:Who got married in the large Wedding Ceremony described in the passage?
A. a farmer and a neighbor             B. the son of a sheik and a princess
B. a king and a queen                 D. two babies.
小題3:Why was the wedding ceremony in Dubai held in a building like a stadium?
A. The ceremony was very long       
B. The groom loved to play sports.
C, Many people came to the wedding.  
D. People in Dubai usually get married in stadium.
小題4:Why did the families in Bangladesh make their children get married?

A．The children were in love

B．The families wanted to end the fight

C．The families wanted to buy a farm.

D．The bride’s family wanted to sell their farm.

小題5: What was strange about the wedding in Bangladesh ?

A．The bride and groom were young.	B．The wedding was on a farm
C． It was an arranged marriage.	D．More than 20,000 guests came to the wedding

Why do so many Americans distrust what they read in their newspapers? The American Society of Newspaper Editors is trying to answer this painful question. The organization is deep into a long self-analysis known as the journalism credibility project.
Sad to say, this project has turned out to be mostly low-level findings about factual errors and spelling and grammar mistakes, combined with lots of head-scratching puzzlement about what in the world those readers really want.
But the sources of distrust go way deeper. Most journalists learn to see the world through a set of standard patterns into which they plug each day’s events. In other words, there is a conventional story line in the newsroom culture that provides a backbone and a ready-made narrative structure for otherwise confusing news.
There exists a social and cultural disconnect between journalists and their readers, which helps explain why the "standard patterns" of the newsroom seem alien to many readers. In a recent survey, questionnaires were sent to reporters in five middle-size cities around the country, plus one large metropolitan area. Then residents in these communities were phoned at random and asked the same questions.
Replies show that compared with other Americans, journalists are more likely to live in upscale neighborhoods, have maids, own Mercedes, and trade stocks, and they’re less likely to go to church, do volunteer work, or put down roots in a community.
Reporters tend to be part of a broadly defined social and cultural elite, so their work tends to reflect the conventional values of this elite. The surprising distrust of the news media isn’t rooted in inaccuracy or poor reportorial skills but in the daily clash of world views between reporters and their readers.
This is an explosive situation for any industry, particularly a declining one. Here is a troubled business that keeps hiring employees whose attitudes vastly annoy the customers. Then it sponsors lots of symposiums and a credibility project dedicated to wondering why customers are annoyed and fleeing in large numbers. But it never seems to get around to noticing the cultural and class biases that so many former buyers are complaining about. If it did, it would open up its diversity program, now focused narrowly on race and gender, and look for reporters who differ broadly by outlook, values, education, and class.
小題1:What is the passage mainly about?

A．needs of the readers all over the world

B．causes of the public disappointment about newspapers

C．origins of the declining newspaper industry

D．aims of a journalism credibility project

小題2:The results of the journalism credibility project turned out to be______.

A．quite trustworthy	B．somewhat contradictory
C．very instructive	D．rather superficial(膚淺的)

小題3:The basic problem of journalists as pointed out by the writer lies in their _________.

A．working attitude	B．conventional lifestyle
C．world outlook	D．educational background

A new report says only about half of all students in the main school systems of America’s largest cities finish high school. The report notes higher rates of graduation — over 70% —in areas surrounding the cities. Researchers studied high school graduation rates from the 2003, 2004 school year. They also identified the nation’s fifty largest cities. The largest, New York City, had a population of more than eight million. The smallest city was Wichita, Kansas. It had about three hundred and sixty thousand people.
Researchers used a system of measurement called the cumulative promotion index to find graduation rates. School officials in many of the cities studied said the resulting numbers were too low. That is because different areas use different methods to find graduation rates. Critics say many methods do not give a true picture of the number of students who leave high school before finishing.
Other studies have put the national graduation rate at about 70%. But experts agree that too many students are not completing high school. They estimate the number at more than one million each year. The report was prepared for America’s Promise Alliance. The private group aims to help children receive services they need to succeed.
General Colin Powell was chairman of America’s Promise Alliance when it was formed in 1997. He attended the press conference Tuesday where the report was released. He said studies have shown that the US must do more to educate the leaders and work force of the future.
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings also spoke. She said the government will propose that states use the same methods when reporting graduation rates. Alliance officials also announced the start of a nationwide campaign to improve graduation rates. It is to include a series of meetings to be held in every state over the next two years. The meetings will bring together elected leaders, business owners, students, parents and education officials. They will develop plans to increase the number of Americans who finish high school.
小題1:The author wants to tell us ___________.

A．too many Americans do not finish high school

B．different methods to find graduation rates

C．services American children need to receive

D．the increase of the number of Americans who finish their high school

小題2:From Paragraph 1 we can infer that __________.

A．there are 8,360,000 people in the US’ fifty largest cities

B．Wichita in Kansas is the smallest city in the US

C．50% of the people in the US don’t finish their high school education

D．high school graduation rates in or near the biggest cities are higher

小題3: The underlined word “picture” probably can be replaced by “_______”.

A．situation

B．scene

C．image

D．mood

小題4:From the last paragraph, we can draw a conclusion that _______-.

A．secretary of Education Margaret Spellings didn’t believe that number from the report

B．the government will stop using the cumulative promotion index to find graduation rates

C．secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the start of a nationwide campaign to improve graduation rates

D．the low graduation rates should be paid attention to by the government and the society

Tokyo is one of those places that you can love and hate at the same time. In Tokyo there are always too many people in the places where I want to go. Of course there are too many cars. The Japanese drive very fast, but in Tokyo they often spend a long time in traffic jams. Tokyo is not different from London, Paris and New York in that, it is different when one wants to walk.
At certain times of the day there are a lot of people on foot in London's Oxford Street. But the streets near the Ginze in Tokyo always have a lot of people on foot, and sometimes it is really difficult to walk. People are very polite; there are just too many of them.
The worst time to be in the street is at 11:30 at night. That is when the night-clubs are closing and every-body wants to go home. There are 35,000 night-clubs in Tokyo, and you do not often see one that is empty(空的).
During the day, most people travel to and from work by train. Tokyo people buy six million train tickets every day. At most stations, trains arrive every two or three minutes, but at certain hours there do not seem to be enough trains. Although they are usually crowded, Japanese trains are very good.  They always leave and arrive on time.
In Tokyo, I stood outside the station for five minutes. Three fire-engines raced past on the way to one of the many fires that Tokyo has every day. Tokyo has so many surprises that none of them can really surprise me now.
小題1: Tokyo is different from London in that ______________.

A．it has a larger population	B．there are more traffic jams
C．night clubs are sometimes empty	D．it is more difficult to go somewhere on foot

小題2:Fires break out___________ in Tokyo according to the writer.

A．not very often	B．only several times a day
C．quite often	D．very seldom

小題3:Which of the following is NOT true about Tokyo?

A．The streets become more crowded at 11:30 at night.

B．There are more trains than cars.

C．Fire-engines are very busy in the city.

D．Tokyo people are friendly.

完形填空 (20%):
Recently I paid a visit to Harvard University, where there are top class scientists and professors and the best academic system in the world.
I was very      when I first stepped onto the campus(校園). Well, it’s not even really a campus. It's      like an area in a small town.
Harvard's main buildings are from the 18th century.They look very old and      . You might        say they’re a little shabby(破舊). They don’t fit the modern 40   of university at all. The buildings are surrounded by     and trees, so I felt as if I had walked into a castle of the Mid-Ages. But when I looked across the street, the     shops and in-fashion(時尚的) students made me feel like I was in the 21st century       . It creates a strong contrast(對比)and brings a special 41   to the school.
Our tents       Gary took us around told us.“You see this grass field in the center of the school?Here is where they hold their     ceremony .They just set up tents and benches and have a very simple ceremony.” It's     ! Who would think the most talented students just graduate on the grass?
I      some students put a blanket on the grass and lie down to read a book. When I listened to the soft sound of      turning, along with the singing of the birds, I felt very      .There was no competitive felling at all.
Harvard has the world’s first computer in its science centre      there are hundreds of high-end computers, too. Its religion(宗教) and the literature departments are also     the best. It is the perfect mix of tradition and    technology.It makes Harvard a very attractive place to      in.
I hope one day I’ll      my dream school --- Harvard.

小題1:	A．upset B．troubled C．shocked D．tired

小題2:	A．more B．less C．much D．most

小題3:	A．great B．solid C．noisy D．simple

小題4:	A．still B．even C．ever D．yet

小題5:	A．model B．way C．idea D．example

小題6:	A．grass B．stones C．plants D．flowers

小題7:	A．empty B．quiet C．free D．busy

小題8:	A．once B．again C．only D．then

小題9:	A．environment B．scene C．atmosphere(氛圍) D．condition

小題10:

A．guide B．partner C．visitor D．professor

小題11:

A．celebration B．closing C．opening D．graduation

小題12:

A．uninteresting B．unbelievable C．unbearable D． uncomfortable

小題13:

A．had B．saw C．felt D．imagined

小題14:

A．books B．benches C．blankets D．pages

小題15:

A．lucky B．calm C．nervous D．happy

小題16:

A．but B．and C．though D．yet

小題17:

A．in B．beyond C．among D．under

小題18:

A．old B．new C．fast D．fresh

小題19:

A．read B．live C．study D．tour

小題20:

A．serve B．attend C．find D．visit