More than 200 activities have been held so far during the Chinese Language Year in Russia. It has not only made Chinese culture popular in Russia, but also improved understanding and friendship between Russians and Chinese people. More and more Russians begin to enjoy Chinese food and operas, watch TV programs to leam Chinese, and travel in China.
Since the Chinese Language Year program in Russia started, so many events such as movie weeks, operas, Chinese language classes, language contests and teaching programs have been popular in Russia.
Through the activities, Russian people have had a chance to leam more about the Chinese culture, literature, history and its life today. For example, the first group of 500 Russian students visited the Chinese cities of Beijing, Dalian and Qingdao. There they painted both countries' landmarks, including the Tian' anmen Square, the Great Wall, the Kremb(克林姆宮),the Volga River and the Red Square. When the Russian students returned, they took part in a photo contest and a writing contest to show their love for China.
And Russians, especially young people, have become more and more interested in learning Chinese. To date, more than 130 universities in Russia are offering Chinese courses. More than 20 middle and primary schools have also taught Chinese as their first foreign language.
【小題1】______activities have been held so far during the Chinese Language Year.

A．Many events have been popular in Russia.

B．Russians have had a chance to learn more about China.

C．Russians have become more and more interested in learning Chinese.

D．Chinese Language Year in Russia makes Chinese culture popular.

Everyone is talking about bird flu. Yes, it is a very dangerous illness that could make people very sick. It will be some months still before we have good medicine 1 bird flu. But that doesn’t  mean you can’t do anything to prevent（預(yù)防）it now.   So far, all the people who have caught bird flu have been those who touched sick chickens or their  2 . So it’s a good idea for people  3 living chickens.
“People  4  go to the markets to buy living chickens to eat, but now they have to change  that habit（習(xí)慣）,” said Peter Cordingley, a WHO expert（專家）. But if you do touch a sick bird, remember 5 your hands carefully with soap right away .  Experts also say having good habits and a healthy body will help you  6  safe from bird flu. For example, do not buy or eat birds that    7  . Do not eat anything that has touched raw（生的） meat. Also, don’t forget to open your windows often and exercise every day.   8  enough sleep is also very important for beating illness. If you feel sick, see a doctor as soon as possible. 9 , no one in China has bird flu. But WHO says children under 12 years old could easily get sick with bird flu. Try to stay away from people who have the flu, and always cover your mouth and nose when you 10  .

Everyone is talking about bird flu. Yes, it is a very dangerous illness that could make people very sick. It will be some months still before we have good medicine 1 bird flu. But that doesn’t  mean you can’t do anything to prevent（預(yù)防）it now.   So far, all the people who have caught bird flu have been those who touched sick chickens or their  2 . So it’s a good idea for people  3 living chickens.

“People  4  go to the markets to buy living chickens to eat, but now they have to change  that habit（習(xí)慣）,” said Peter Cordingley, a WHO expert（專家）. But if you do touch a sick bird, remember 5 your hands carefully with soap right away .  Experts also say having good habits and a healthy body will help you  6  safe from bird flu. For example, do not buy or eat birds that    7  . Do not eat anything that has touched raw（生的） meat. Also, don’t forget to open your windows often and exercise every day.   8  enough sleep is also very important for beating illness. If you feel sick, see a doctor as soon as possible. 9 , no one in China has bird flu. But WHO says children under 12 years old could easily get sick with bird flu. Try to stay away from people who have the flu, and always cover your mouth and nose when you 10  .

1.                A．to             B．for            C．a(chǎn)t   D．in

2.                A．houses         B．droppings(糞便)  C．eggs D．food

3.                A．to stay out of    B．to stay off       C．to stay over    D．to stay away from

4.                A．a(chǎn)re used to      B．used to         C．used D．have used to

5.                A．washes         B．to wash         C．washing  D．washed

6.                A．keep           B．to get          C．got  D．keeping

7.                A．has been checked B．have been checked   C．has checked    D．have not been checked

8.                A．Get            B．Have           C．Got  D．Getting

9.                A．In the past      B．From then on    C．Since then D．So far

10.               A．laugh          B．cough          C．cry   D．Sleep

Comets(彗星) are parts of our solar system. Like the planets, they go around the sun.

But comets are not made of solid rocks like planets. A comet is a ball of dust, stones, and ice. Many people call comets dirty snowballs.

The “snowball” may be only a few miles across. But when the sun heats the “snowball,” much of it is changed to gases. The gases spread out and form the comet’s head, which may be thousands of miles across.

A comet moves fast in its trip around the sun. But when we see it, the comet does not seem to move. That’s because it is so far away. The moon moves fast, but when you look at it, you can’t see any motion(運(yùn)動(dòng)). That’s because the moon is far away.

Each year astronomers(天文學(xué)家) discover new comets. Some of them are seen only once. They make one trip around the sun and then go away out into space. The sun’s gravity cannot hold them.

Other comets, like Halley, keep returning. They have been captured by the sun. Halley’s earliest visit was probably 3,000 years ago. It may keep returning for another 3,000 years.

But every time a comet goes around the sun, the comet loses part of itself. Gases and dust are pulled out of the comet. That’s why Halley is now dimmer（暗淡的） than it used to be. Next time it visits us, in 2062, it may be even dimmer. Each visit it may get dimmer and dimmer, until it finally disappears.

1.What is this passage mostly about?

2.How does the writer help the reader understand what a comet looks like?

3.What is the most likely reason the writer wrote this passage?